Google searches for hayfever have almost doubled (46%) in the past week in the UK the sleep experts at Happy Beds have revealed.
As hayfever sufferers can often feel the effects worsen at night, the sleep experts at Happy Beds have shared their top tips for coping.
Eat more garlic, wash your hair, and say vowels out loud to beat hayfever symptoms at night say sleep experts
But firstly, why is hayfever worse at night? During the day, hot air rises and carries pollen within. When the air cools, pollen falls back down and onto surfaces which can then trigger your hayfever symptoms even more. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Read on to discover Happy Bed’s top tips for beating hayfever at night…
1. Wash your hair before getting into bed.
If you have allergies, shower before bed. Pollen likes to stick to your hair, so washing it before going to sleep will significantly reduce the likeliness of you having an itchy throat and experiencing symptoms of hayfever at night.
By washing your hair, you’re getting rid of a large amount of the pollen that’s been building up in your hair throughout the day and you are less likely to transfer this to your pillow and bedding.
2. Eat more garlic and chilli
Believe it or not, the type of food you eat can either contribute towards or help reduce your allergies. Sugary, starchy and dairy products force the body to produce mucus, which in turn makes your symptoms worse – so avoid them before bed.
Foods that contain the immune-boosting vitamin E, such as fish and egg, are a great help as they reduce the risk of upper respiratory infections. Spices such as ginger, chilli and garlic are a natural remedy because they’re rich in vitamin C – which improves lung function. Alcohol is a no go. Not only does it dehydrate, but it produces histamine in your body – the same chemical that an allergic reaction produces.
3. If snoring keeps you awake, repeat your vowels out loud.
If hayfever has led to you snoring more, anti-snoring throat exercises are a great way to strengthen the muscles in your throat and stop them from vibrating as you sleep – the cause of snoring. A few times a day, spend a few minutes repeating each of the vowels (a-e-i-o-u) out loud, and over time you’ll strengthen those all-important muscles.
4. Keep your pets out of your bedroom.
Pets may not seem like something you’d commonly link to snoring issues; however, there is a link there. Snoring may result from allergies and can be caused by flakes of skin that pets shed, which worsens respiratory problems. It’s recommended that pet owners try to keep their fur babies out of the bedroom!
5. Cover your bed with a thin sheet throughout the day.
As you’ve probably guessed by now, pollen likes to creep in wherever it can. So, opening your windows is extending an invitation for the most unwelcome house guest of all. And they won’t RSVP. In covering your bed with a thin sheet during the day, there’s no way for the pollen coming in to latch on to the fibres of your bed and ruin your sleep. Plus, a stylish throw will look great too!
6. Sleep with your head slightly raised.
Pollen allergies can cause your nasal passages to become inflamed and swollen, making it hard for you to breathe through your nose, so people are more likely to snore. By sleeping with an elevated head, it can decrease the amount of nasal congestion that can be caused by allergies. Use an extra pillow to keep yourself propped up for a comfy night’s sleep.
7. Dust your bedroom furniture and vacuum it every two days.
Keeping on top of cleaning in your bedroom will help to keep allergies at bay, with carpets, bedding and dust on surfaces contributing to snoring, sneezing and other reactions to air pollutants.
8. Switch your bedding to a hypoallergenic version.
This one’s a must. Dust mites thrive on the synthetic inners of your duvet and pillows, and pollen can easily get trapped here, triggering your hayfever. As hypoallergenic bedding is wool-filled, the dry nature of the material means dust mites can’t survive in it – so you don’t have to be sharing a bed with the little sneeze demons!
