Why are allergies worse at night?

+52 votes
asked Jul 18, 2019 in Health & Wellness by MaiStonham3 (390 points)
edited Aug 7, 2019
It’s so frustrating. I have been having trouble sleeping these few weeks because of my allergies. I could go by the day without having it act up at all but comes the night and I can’t lie down without having my nose clogged up. Sometimes it even woke me up in the middle of the sleep. The lack of sleep is starting to really get to me. Why are allergies worse at night? Is there any way to prevent this?

3 Answers

+12 votes
answered Jul 28, 2019 by Robyn (1,030 points)
edited Aug 5, 2019
Good thing you start trying to find out early. Sleep deprivation could affect your lifestyle and ability to think. In the long run, it could promote heart problems and high blood pressure. It’s an extremely common problem, with one study noting that only 17% of allergy patient having an optimal sleep, half of which said that the allergy woke them up and make it hard to go back to sleep.

Why are allergies worse at night? According to William E. Berger, a professor of medicine in the University of California, for nasal allergies, four things occurs. These are itching, sneezing, runny nose and followed by mucus formation, which in turns become nasal congestion and mucous membranes would swell.

For example, when you lie down and feel your nose congested, you will find a nice breathing position, however, this only cause mucus to collect in the back of the throat, so you cough. All night long you end up coughing and try your best to breathe through your blocked nose and well that disrupt your sleep.
+9 votes
answered Jul 21, 2019 by IvyBlackston (430 points)
edited Aug 4, 2019
You might want to install an ioniser, something like the Plasmacluster to get rid of the trigger allergens at night. At night, pollen level actually worsens (temperature drop so pollens sink down closer to the ground) so getting one might be a good investment for a good sleep. The ioniser would get rid of all those little pesky particles, such as bacteria, dust and pollen, from the air while you sleep. Then

I recommend regularly vacuuming places that you don’t often reach for. Somewhere like under the bed or table, also give the top of your wardrobe a good swipe every now and then. Then rub some white vinegar around the walls of your bed to reduce potential mould spores, although do some follow up research with this method since I’m not sure what kind of white vinegar will not damage the wall. If all else fails, just get a mould removal specialist and consult your GP on getting better medication.
+6 votes
answered Jul 31, 2019 by IrmaBoudreau (340 points)
edited Aug 8, 2019
Why are allergies worse at night? If you are like me and suffering from hay fever, then I truly understand your pain. Your pillows can be the main source of the trigger particle. It’s been reported that over 50,000 dust mites live on every pillow and whatever they left behind is allergenic. Replace your pillow if the problem only recently happening more frequently. Same goes to the bedding and mattress.
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