One of the most important things you should do when you have a cold is sleep. Restorative rest supports your immune system so it can fight off the virus behind your cold and gives your body a chance to recover. But anyone who has tried to get some shut-eye with common cold symptoms knows how impossible it can be to fall asleep—let alone stay asleep. Fortunately, there are tricks that can make it easier to get the quality sleep you so desperately need, even when you’re sick. Here’s how to sleep with a cold—and why the common cold sets you up for restless nights in the first place.
Why is it Hard to Sleep When You’re Sick?
You can blame the virus itself—and specifically how it affects your body—for making it hard to fall and stay asleep when you have a cold. Congestion in the sinuses is unpleasant when you’re upright, but a stuffy nose often feels worse when you lie down. It also contributes to post-nasal drip and the resulting sore throat, which can be uncomfortable enough to interfere with sleep on its own. If your cold is accompanied by a cough, this is another symptom that’s exacerbated by lying down because it gives mucus a chance to accumulate.
Other symptoms, like body aches and joint pain, can make it difficult to get comfortable enough to drift off. Even medications designed to ease symptoms can interfere with your sleep quality. Decongestants in particular can make you feel drowsy, but they also tend to cause grogginess, making you feel decidedly unrested. Plus, there’s the mental toll that a head cold can take. Being sick can heighten stress and anxiety, especially if you’re worried about missing important events or activities.
The problem is that you need sleep to recover properly from a cold. Sleep boosts the immune system and allows for an increased production of cytokines, key proteins that fight inflammation and infection. While you sleep, energy is redirected from all the demands of your waking hours to the process of healing. Without adequate rest, your cold symptoms are worse and your recovery process is much longer. So what can be done?
Are You Too Congested To Sleep at Night?
While you may assume that watery eyes, a stuffy nose and a sore throat are classic signs of a cold, ask yourself an important question. Are your symptoms present during the day, or do you only notice them at night? If it’s dawning on you that you feel fine throughout the day and only wrestle with congestion when you’re in bed, there’s a very good chance that you’re actually experiencing a dust mite allergy. And you aren’t alone.
Some 20 million people in the United States alone are allergic to dust mites, which are microscopic relatives to spiders. They live in warm, moist environments, and that means your mattress and bedding are particularly appealing—especially if they’re made with synthetic materials or down. Many people have an allergic response to proteins found in dust mite feces and their dead bodies, which can leave you with a runny nose and watery eyes, among other symptoms. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to manage dust mite allergies for better sleep.
Possible Dust Mite Allergy?
If you suspect that your cold is actually a dust mite allergy because your symptoms only pop up at night, step one is creating a sleeping environment that deters the little buggers. Fortunately, it’s easier than you might think.
- Upgrade to wool bedding. Dust mites thrive in synthetic fibers because they trap heat, which creates the warm, humid environment they love. Wool is a natural fiber with truly unrivaled qualities for sleep. It’s naturally temperature regulating and impressively moisture wicking. That creates a dry, temperature-neutral environment—precisely the opposite of the conditions in which dust mites thrive. Swapping out your down and down alternative bedding for wool comforters and wool pillows is a simple way to ward off dust mites, limiting your exposure, reducing symptoms and generally making for a cleaner sleep space.
- Look beyond bedding to other soft surfaces. Dust mites can also live and breed in carpets, curtains and other soft furnishings, and they do particularly well in synthetic fabrics. Switching to wool or another non-synthetic alternative, like linen, can help create a dust mite-free zone that makes an enormous difference come bedtime.
How To Sleep With a Cold or Flu
When your cold symptoms are related to, well, a cold, here’s how to make yourself more comfortable for a greater likelihood of falling and staying asleep.
The Best Sleeping Positions For A Cold
Reducing congestion can help you breathe easier, reducing nighttime wakeups. Instead of sleeping flat on your back, use pillows to slightly elevate your upper body. That can keep mucus from gathering in your sinuses and throat, which helps keep airways clear (or as clear as they can be with a cold).
If you can’t get comfortable when you’re propped up, side sleeping is another option. The downside is that the nasal passages on the side you’re sleeping on may become clogged, which can be disruptive when you’re fast asleep. If you’re a regular side sleeper and you switch from side to side throughout the night, you might find this manageable.
Managing Temperature
Maintaining a comfortable sleep temperature contributes to a better night’s sleep, but it’s especially important when you have a cold. Your body is already working hard to fight off the virus, and bundling up with synthetic fabrics that trap heat increases body temperature. It can lead to overheating and trigger night sweats, both of which make it hard to get the quality rest you really need. A bedroom that’s too cold can be equally problematic, since it can have a chilling effect on your body. If your head cold is making you feel colder than usual, keep an extra layer handy, like an organic wool blanket.
Experts recommend keeping your bedroom between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit, so consider running the heater or cracking a window, depending on where you live and the time of year. Swapping out synthetic bedding or down pillows and comforters for wool can help manage sleep temperature as well. Unlike fibers that trap heat, wool is naturally breathable, so it absorbs and releases moisture to help maintain a neutral temperature. Upgrading to wool bedding makes it easy to benefit from the innate properties of this fiber—something you’ll appreciate long after you’ve recovered from your cold!
Be mindful of pajama material as well. Synthetic fabrics have the same tendency to trap heat whether they’re used in clothing or in bedding, and opting for natural fibers is a better choice for temperature regulation.
Use Hypoallergenic Bedding
While hypoallergenic bedding won’t treat your cold directly, it does reduce exposure to allergens and irritants that can make your symptoms feel worse. Hypoallergenic bedding, like the organic wool bedding here at Woolroom, is a deterrent to dust mites, mold and mildew. Limiting your exposure to these allergens and pathogens can help support a speedy recovery and ease the severity of your symptoms. Natural fibers, like organic cotton, linen and wool, are also soft and breathable for more comfort—exactly what you need when you aren't feeling well.
Bedtime Rituals to Ease Cold and Flu Symptoms
Doing what you can to ease cold and flu symptoms before getting in bed can go a long way, so consider trying the following.
- Stay hydrated: Staying properly hydrated is especially important when you have a cold. It loosens mucus, which can ease congestion, and it keeps the throat lubricated. That can keep your throat from drying out and helps reduce coughing. Keeping the body hydrated is also necessary for proper immune function, and that’s what you want when you’re fighting a cold. Before bed, a warm beverage, like decaffeinated herbal tea with honey, can also be relaxing.
- Take a bath: The steam from a warm shower or bath can help thin mucus and make it easier to breathe, and it’s a helpful way to ease tension before bed.
- Use a humidifier: Dry air can be irritating to your sinuses, so if you’re in a dry climate, running a humidifier may help you breathe more comfortably. Remember to use distilled water and clean your humidifier regularly.
- Create a comfortable sleep environment: Managing light, temperature and noise in the bedroom are critical for restorative sleep, no matter how you’re feeling. Keep the bedroom dark, quiet and comfortably cool, and don’t overlook the importance of soft, breathable bedding.
The Bottom Line On How To Sleep With A Cold
While a head cold often makes it really difficult to sleep well, prioritizing sleep is particularly important when you’re sick. Most colds linger between 7 and 10 days, and that’s a very long time to go without quality rest. Do what you can to relieve your symptoms by adjusting your sleep position, using temperature-regulating bedding like organic wool and staying well hydrated. And remember, this too shall pass!