Allergies and Sleep Loss

If a box of Kleenex has a permanent place by your bed and you have sneezing, itching, a runny nose or mucus formation… and you can’t breathe through your nose, how can you expect to fall asleep? Good question.

If allergies are keeping you awake at night, you are not alone.  In one study, only 17% of patients with allergies rated their sleep as optimal.  About half of all people in the study said allergies and nasal congestion woke them up at night and also made it hard to fall asleep.  All night long, many tossed and turned and coughed and snored instead of sleeping. The next day they awakened feeling exhausted and irritable because their allergies had so impacted normal sleep.

And allergies are only part of the story.  Nearly 75% of asthma patients experience increased symptoms at night according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Sleep deprivation is a stress that has significant consequences, such as high blood pressure and heart complications, as well as psychological consequences. It affects every part of your life from your relationships to your ability to think and be productive at home, at school and at work.

There are allergy and asthma medications that may help you get a better night’s sleep. Antihistamines may help with sneezing and postnasal drip, while decongestant medications help with the stuffiness and nasal congestion. And there are more possible solutions.

All of the above come down to this: get enough sleep, treat allergies and asthma aggressively with environmental control and appropriate medications, and follow up with your physician if you discover difficulties concentrating during the day.

You don’t have to keep suffering from sleep deprivation due to allergies. See your allergist who can help you create your day-to-day game plan.

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