This article is sponsored by Klarify.me who offer easy allergy testing you can do at home. None of the advice in this article should be taken as medical advice and if in doubt you should always seek medical advice.
Whilst many people may be aware of the typical signs and symptoms of an allergy such as itching, runny, or stuffy nose, watering eyes and feeling unwell. Allergy suffers will also know all too well how much having an allergy can affect your sleep too and wreak havoc on your day to day life. Your allergies usually affect your sleep due to certain allergens irritating you within your nasal passages which in turn then inhibits your breathing and therefore your sleep.
Allergies can affect all aspects of your sleep and some of the common issue’s allergy suffers face during the nights include stomach pains, headaches, trouble falling and staying asleep, snoring, insomnia and an increased risk for sleep apnea too. Poor sleep, in general, can leave you feeling tired, stressed and fatigued and therefore having a knock-on effect on how you feel during the daytime too and resulting in what feels like an endless cycle. This is turn can then lead to increased stress and anxiety and further health issues.
But there are some things you can do to help alleviate some of the discomforts and hopefully help you to get some sleep, here are some tips that may help.
Find out what allergies you have
If you do not know the problem how can you address it? For this reason, rather than just blaming allergies in general for poor sleep you need to find out which allergies you have. It is really easy to be tested by a doctor or by using a home allergy testing kit to check for hundreds of allergies so you know what to avoid.
Shower Before Bed
Not only will showering before bed help you feel clean and ready for bed, but it will also help wash away any allergens such as pollen that may have been on your skin. When you show be sure you place all of your dirty clothes into the wash beforehand so there is no chance of these touching your skin on fresh pyjamas and you can go to bed feeling clean and refreshed.
Use an air purifier
Air purifiers are helpful for those both with and without allergies, however, if you do suffer from allergies an air purifier may be able to help you get a better night’s sleep. That is because using an air purifier regularly can help rid your home of many allergens such as dust mites, mould, pollen, pet dander and any other allergens which may be in the air within your home. Just be sure to make sure you clean or replace the filter regularly.
Don’t dry your bedsheets outside
When the weather looks warm and sunny outside it can be so tempting to want to wash your sheets and dry them outside, that fresh laundry smell is amazing right. But drying items such as your bed sheets outside could lead to allergens becoming attached to these items and worsening your allergies during the night as you lay on them. The best thing to do is to tumble dry these items to avoid this.
Discuss medication with a doctor
If you are really suffering from poor sleep then your doctor should always be your first port of call. They will be able to offer advice as well as possibly prescribe you medication that can help or advise a different dosage or schedule for your current medication.
Close all doors and windows
Whilst it is tempting to swing open your windows and doors during the summer months and let all the fresh air in, this could be contributing to your issues instead of helping. This is because having windows and doors open can allow allergens into your home that will then settle inside your home and on items such as you’re bedding and furniture. If you really want to have them open for a part of the day, try opening them up first thing in the morning and closing by lunchtime, paired with using an air purifier this should limit the number of allergens within your home.
Hopefully, these tips will help you get a better night’s sleep but if you are still struggling or have tried all of the tips above without success it is always important to discuss this with your doctor. Lack of sleep can lead to fatigue and other stresses and illnesses as well as struggling with day-to-day tasks. Your doctor may be able to offer some more advice, things to try or different medication to help.
I suffer with all year round allergies that are worse in summer. Unfortunately our bedroom is the hottest room in the house (airing cupboard with hot water tank) so we have to open the windows in the summer. I don’t dry my bedding outside & have multiple medications from the doctor, but still can’t sleep. Never thought of getting an air purifier though so I am going to look into that.
I find that banning my cat from the bedroom is useful, even though it’s really difficult to keep him out. He brings in pollen on his coat and then leaves pollen on the bed, making my allergies bad at night, even after I’ve hoovered the bed!
I can’t dry my bed sheets outside as i have very bad hayfever