How To Sleep With a Cold or Flu

Do you know how to sleep when you have the flu? They call it the season of coughs and cold with good reason; it can start to feel like everywhere you turn you’re surrounded by sniffs and sneezes. And while cold symptoms during the day are horrible, nothing compares to the misery of lying in bed unable to fall asleep, knowing that sleep is what you need to put you on the road to recovery.

So we’ve pulled together our best top tips on how to sleep when you have a cold.
 

Are You Too Congested To Sleep at Night?

Before we provide our advice on how to sleep when you have a cold, first things first, are your cold symptoms during the day, or could it be that it’s an allergy causing your blocked nose when sleeping?
One common cause of a blocked -up nose at night is a dust mite allergy. Dust mites are tiny creatures that live in your bedding and soft furnishings. They thrive in the kind of warm, damp conditions created by synthetic materials and down-filled bedding. It’s for this reason that you may only experience a blocked nose when sleeping and not during the day.
 

Possible Dust Mite Allergy? Dealing With a Blocked Nose When Sleeping

If you’re struggling to stay asleep with a stuffy nose during the night it’s important to remember that you need to create a sleeping environment that deters dust mites. Here are some tips:

• Choose wool bedding: While dust mites thrive in synthetic fibers, they’re not so keen on wool. Wool naturally stays cool and dry – exactly the opposite of the conditions they like. This means that wool comforters and pillows are ideal to ward off dust mites and give you an easy-breathing night’s sleep.
• Change other soft furnishings in your bedroom: Unbeknown to many people, dust mites can also live and breed in carpets, curtains and other soft furnishings. By swapping these out for wool or non-synthetic alternatives, you can create a dust mite free zone so you’re not too congested to sleep.leading to better sleep.

 

How To Get To Sleep With a Cold

But if you’re sure your stuffy nose is caused by a virus rather than an allergy, there are plenty of things you can try to gain much-needed relief:

• Raise your head: Use an extra pillow to prop yourself up a bit higher than normal. This allows your sinuses to drain, and should help prevent that horrid feeling of congestion around your eyes and ears. For a smaller child’s bed you may find that it’s possible to prop the head of the bed up on blocks if the child is unable to sleep.
• Use menthol rubs: Contrary to popular belief, a strong menthol scent cannot actually reduce nasal congestion, it merely gives you the feeling of breathing more clearly. But this can provide some temporary relief that may help you fall asleep. There is an old wives’ tale that says you should apply menthol rub to the soles of your feet at night, and then sleep in socks to get rid of a chesty cough – we only have anecdotal evidence that it works, but it may be worth a try if you’re wondering how to sleep with when you have a cold and cough.
• Decongestant medicine: If you’re struggling to sleep with a blocked nose and it’s really getting you down, consider decongestant medicine to maximize your chance of getting a good night’s sleep. Check with your physician or chemist to get advice on the best options available, and always read the instructions on the box.

 

How To Sleep When You Have The Flu

Sometimes it’s not necessarily that you’re too congested to sleep. It could be the aches and pains and temperature fluctuations caused by a nasty flu or cold. If you’re finding that you’re hot and clammy one minute and freezing cold the next, help is at hand. Here are some of our tips for sleeping with a fever:

• Make sure you have plenty of layers available: If your temperature tends to fluctuate throughout the night, make an extra layer easily available that you can pull up and down as needed. For extra benefit and breathability choose an all-natural wool blanket.
• Keep a cool drink beside your bed: If you’re struggling with high temperatures making you overheat, make sure you have a glass of chilled water by your bed. Sip it regularly to help cool you down - if nothing else, hydration is vital if you’re fighting a fever.
• Choose thermo-regulating bedding: By choosing bedding that helps keep you cool when you’re warm and warm when you’re cool, you’ll be much less affected by spiking temperatures overnight. Wool bedding will do exactly this, helping to regulate your body temperature when sleeping with a fever. It also has the added benefit that the natural fibers wick away moisture, keeping you drier and more comfortable even if your fever is causing excessive sweating.

We hope we’ve helped you understand how to get sleep with a cold. For more sleep tips and advice visit our Sleep Health and Advice hub.