All adults need seven or more hours of sleep a night.1 There are a lot of things that can interrupt a good night’s sleep, from a snoring partner to too many Gold Sprint lattes. One sleep-interrupting culprit you might not have considered yet is your allergies.
The Effect of Allergies
During the day, sneezing, congestion, itchy hives and other allergy symptoms are annoying; at night, all those same pesky symptoms may not just irritate you but also make it difficult to fall or stay asleep. For example, if hives are causing your skin to itch, it’s probably pretty challenging to concentrate on falling asleep. Similarly, disrupted breathing can cause you to snore or wake up at night.
While allergies can feel burdensome at bedtime, there are a few ways you can manage your symptoms for a better night’s rest.
Managing Your Allergies at Bedtime
Keep the following tips in mind to minimize allergens in your room and control your symptoms before bed:
- Close your windows. Pollen, most likely ragweed pollen, can float in through open windows. Limit the amount of pollen in your bedroom by keeping the windows closed. If you like to sleep with the windows open, consider installing allergy screens to keep pollen at bay.
- Keep pets out. If you have pet dander allergies, your cats and dogs are best kept out of the bedroom, both during the day and at night. If keeping your furry friends out is near impossible, just try not to let them on the bed.
- Clean. Regular cleaning helps reduce pollen, dust mite and pet dander buildup. Sweep or vacuum your floors regularly and mop if you don’t have carpeting. Wash your bedding at least once a week and your pillows once every few weeks.
- Shower before bed. Pollen and other allergens relish the thought of sticking to your clothes and hair. Shower before you go to bed and wear a clean set of pajamas to limit allergen spread.
- Take allergy medication. Allergy medication offers short-term symptom relief. Take your regular medication a few hours before bed and apply an antihistamine cream to your skin if you have hives.
If allergies have stolen more than a few winks from your nightly sleep schedule, contact North Alabama ENT Associates for more guidance on symptom management or long-term treatment options.
Citations:
1 Mayo Clinic Staff. (2025, February 1). How many hours of sleep are enough? Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/how-many-hours-of-sleep-are-enough/faq-20057898