Families across the UK are being urged to follow a two pillow “rule” at night as another heatwave grips the country. Hot temperatures can make sleeping at night very difficult and uncomfortable, and when you throw hay fever into the mix it can be a nightmare to get a decent night’s rest. Hay fever symptoms are often worse at night, with sufferers battling runny or blocked noses, itchy eyes, sneezing and headaches.
The onslaught of symptoms at night can be due to pollen accumulating in your bedroom throughout the day through open windows, or by being transferred to your bed from your skin, hair or clothing, which then exacerbates symptoms. But it can also be due to your body position as lying down can cause a build-up of mucus in your sinuses and nasal passages, making it more difficult to breathe and, in turn, drop off to sleep.
To help combat this problem, experts say it is best to sleep with two pillows at night instead of one as this puts your body in a more elevated position which then prevents excess mucus from building up, meaning you’re less likely to suffer from irritating allergy symptoms when you need some much needed rest.
Dr Lindsay Browning, psychologist, neuroscientist and sleep expert at And So To Bed, explains: “Congestion caused by allergies can greatly impact the quality of our sleep, which in turn can have a knock-on effect on our physical and mental health.
“Symptoms associated with an allergy are usually worse at night. This is because when we lie down, the mucus cannot drain in the same way it would when gravity is helping, leading to disturbed breathing or a cough caused by a post-nasal drip.
“For this reason, you should aim to keep your head slightly elevated at night if you are struggling with allergies. You might want to try propping your head up with an extra pillow and shifting your sleeping position so you’re slightly more seated. This will bring gravity back into the mix, allowing excess mucus to drain and not pool and lessening the irritation.”
It’s also worth having a shower before you go to bed as pollen is sticky and can cling to your skin, hair and clothes, making it easy to be transferred to your bed and trigger symptoms that will then disturb your sleep.
Dr Browning adds: “When you’re trying to sleep with hay fever, it’s important to stay on top of regularly cleaning your bedroom and bedding to prevent dust – and allergens – from building up. Ensure you frequently vacuum the carpet – ideally with a HEPA filter designed to filter airborne pollen and dust mites – dust your surfaces and wash bedding to make sleeping easier.
“It’s also important to avoid wearing any daytime clothes in bed, as these are likely to have pollen on them. Instead, change into your pyjamas before you get into bed and stay on top of regularly washing your clothes to minimise the risk of bringing pollen in.
“Taking a shower before bed will wash away any pollen that may have clung to your skin and hair from outside. Instead of transferring this onto your bed linen, make a habit of washing yourself before bed. This is also a great tip for when we still start to experience warmer evenings again as a cool – not cold – shower will help to lower your body temperature making it easier to drift off to sleep.”
