Allergies keeping you awake? Here’s what you can do to help

4th May 2022

Allergies keeping you awake? Here’s what you can do to help

There’s nothing worse than a bad night’s sleep. You wake up in the morning feeling tired, grumpy, and angry at yourself for not being able to get some shut-eye. For some people, when their allergies hit, this is just an inevitability. They know they’ll be up all night with a stuffy nose or persistent cough.

Only 17% of people with allergies rate their sleep as optimal. And about half of all people have been woken up by their allergies and struggle to get back to sleep. That’s not a good feeling for anyone. But what is it that’s causing this exactly? And what can you do to make it better?

Causes of bad sleep

If you’re struggling to get to sleep, it could be because the allergens are right under your nose. Literally. There are likely two main causes that might be leading to your reaction: dust mites and pollen. Both will hang onto your bedding, clothing, and carpet, leaving you breathing them in all night.

You can read more about dust mites here, but the short of it is they live in our fabrics. Their skin and excrement is what sets our allergies off, and it’s not uncommon to find them in your bed. Pollen – which we also talked about recently – is going to affect anyone with hay fever. This has a tendency to cling to clothes and can easily come in through an open window.

So how can you make your sleep a little better?

Up your cleaning routine

The simplest trick is to increase how often you clean your bedroom. Since pollen and dust mites hang around on bedding, get into the habit of cleaning these regularly. You might have to play around with the idea to learn how frequently this needs to be. Also, vacuum more often if you have carpets, and don’t forget your curtains too.

Cleaning also applies to you. If you’ve been outside, pollen could stick to your hair. Switching to a night-time shower or bath will let you get that off your body instead of transferring it to your pillow. Speaking of which, hypoallergenic pillows and bedding exist, so if it’s a real problem, this is something you could invest in.

Keep pets out of the bedroom

This might be a sad tip, but a necessary one. Pets can just as easily get pollen caught in their fur. And just like with hair, this can be dispersed across your bedroom. Try a few nights of keeping them out of the room and see if that makes it better.

If you can’t bear the thought of sleeping without them, wash them more regularly too. Make sure to give them baths or, failing that, rub them down with a clean towel daily.

Don’t sleep with the windows open

As we get towards summer, this is going to be a hard pill to swallow. Nights are going to get hotter and humid. But by keeping your windows open, you’re just inviting pollen in. Really, you don’t want to open them at all throughout the day.

If this sounds like an unbearable idea, consider investing in an air purifier. This will extract allergens from the air, which will hopefully help you sleep a bit easier at night.

And those are our tips! We know a bad night’s sleep can have devastating effects on the next day. You shouldn’t have to put up with that. Hopefully our advice lets you catch a few more Zs. If not, talk to your doctor about allergy medication. Something like a nasal spray might work wonders. Whatever you can do to help you sleep peacefully is worth it.

Struggling to sleep at night because of your allergies? Talk to one of our specialists about it. We’re always here to listen to you and offer our advice. You can register as a new patient, or simply call us on 02031 433 449.

Why eczema flares at night and how to deal with it

7th September 2018

Why eczema flares at night and how to deal with it

Eczema during the day isn’t easy to deal with, but at bedtime, it can be a nightmare. It disrupts sleep and causes anxiety. It sometimes increases the likelihood of health problems, such as insomnia.

What causes eczema to flare at night?

During the daytime, the body produces a natural anti-inflammatory called cortisol. Unfortunately, our cortisol levels drop during the night. This can leave eczema sufferers without the natural ‘protection’ against itchy, heated skin.

Dealing with discomfort

If you or your child has eczema, you already know how it feels to have lotions, potions and everything in between recommended to you that will ‘treat’ eczema. There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment. However, there are several ways to soothe discomfort so that you can have a peaceful night’s sleep.

Material

Eczema sufferers are no stranger to staying clear of ‘triggering’ fabrics like wool and polyester. However, have you thought about investing in bedding that’s less likely to make your skin itch? Silk, satin or man-made materials aren’t soothing for your skin. They cause your body to sweat which can make your eczema sting and become more irritated. Linen and cotton are a far better option for bedding than man-made fabrics and will help keep your skin cool.

The same goes for pyjamas. Avoid wearing these types of fabrics and ‘prickly’ materials such as brush cotton or wool. It’s also important to use natural, no-fragrance washing powders and fabric softeners.

Temperature

Temperature can play a significant role in how irritated your eczema can be. When getting ready for bed, we suggest turning down the heating and avoiding too many layers. You could use a fan, but that isn’t always the best solution. If you shower before bed, using cool/lukewarm water is preferable to hot water as your skin won’t react as severely. You should also use body washes or soap that are free from harsh and triggering chemicals.

Don’t scratch!

How many times have you been told, or had to tell your child, not to scratch? As the intensity of the condition develops during bedtime, it may be worth wearing cotton mittens to stop from scratching too much.

Lotions

Although most eczema sufferers don’t have just one holy grail product for handling their eczema, you should keep your essential moisturisers by your bed ready to apply to prominent itches so that you avoid the urge to scratch.

Clean

Keeping your environment clean and dust free can make all the difference when it comes to eczema. Dust is a common trigger for flare-ups so spending a little time dusting at the end of the day can be a big help.

If you find that you’re experiencing some of these symptoms but aren’t sure that it’s eczema, or want to learn more about the skin condition, don’t suffer, book an allergy test. Talk to our consultants today to take the first steps towards getting a proper night’s sleep.