Sleep Tips For When You’re Sick
Cold and flu season is upon us, and one of the most common things you may hear when you’re sick is: “Make sure you’re getting enough rest!” While sleep is, indeed, one of the most important things you can do when you’re sick, it can often be hard to fall asleep or stay asleep when you’re not feeling your best. Follow these three simple tips to help get the sleep your body needs to recover.
Adjust Your Sleeping Position
When you’re sick, especially when you have a cough or are congested, it’s best to adjust your sleep position to use gravity to your advantage. This can help open your airways in order to reduce the additional congestion you may feel. There are two main ways to do this.
First, it can be helpful to lie on your side as opposed to your stomach or back. Sleeping on your side is not only a great way to open your airways when you have a cough, cold, or the flu, it can also reduce nausea.
Second, elevating your head is another good way to relieve congestion and reduce coughing. You can do this by utilizing and stacking additional supportive pillows to keep your head propped up.
Utilize Steam
Steam and humidity can also benefit your airways to help you sleep when you’re sick, especially in the drier months. Here are a few ways you can integrate steam into your bedtime routine to help when you’re stuffed up:
- Place a humidifier in your bedroom while you sleep
- Take a hot shower or hot bath with the door closed
- Drink a hot cup of tea before bed while breathing in the steam
- Drape a towel over your head while breathing slowly over a pot of simmering water
Keep Your Sleep Space Clean
Ensuring your sleep space is clean before, during, and after you’re sick is imperative. Because we spend hours in the same space while we’re asleep, making sure the air you breathe in and the surface you’re lying on is clean can make a huge difference.
For a cleaner sleep surface year-round, investing in a premium mattress and pillow protector is a must. This not only keeps your mattress protected from dust mites, moisture, and stains, but it also helps limit the amount of allergens and everyday irritants that can get in your bed and exacerbate symptoms. Additionally, using all-natural, hypoallergenic bedding is another great way to ensure that your sleep space is void of irritants and allergens that other bedding products may have.
Finally, once you’re feeling better, it’s best to clean all your bedding to eliminate any lingering germs. Be sure to swap out and clean all bedding, including sheets, pillowcases, protectors, and duvets or comforters. Having a backup set of bedding on hand is never a bad idea, especially when you or your loved ones aren’t feeling the best.
Sources
- “Common Cold – How to Treat at Home.” Mount Sinai. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/selfcare-instructions/common-cold-how-to-treat-at-home
- “Deep Cleaning Your Home After Being Sick.” Geisinger. https://www.geisinger.org/health-and-wellness/wellness-articles/2020/03/18/14/32/how-to-clean-house-after-the-flu
- “How to Sleep When You Have a Cough.” Columbia University Irving Medical Center. https://www.columbiadoctors.org/news/how-sleep-when-you-have-cough
- “How to Sleep with a Cough or Cold.” Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-faqs/how-to-sleep-with-a-cough
- “Managing Nausea and Vomiting at Home.” American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/eating-problems/nausea-and-vomiting/managing.html
Today’s Health Topics
Editor's Pick
Health Focus
Ask Dr. Weil's Q&A
| sponsor | ||
 |
||
|
