Sleep Better When You're Sick
Cold and flu symptoms can keep you from getting a good night's rest when you
need it. WebMD talked to experts for advice on how to sleep better.
By Colette Bouchez
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang MD
A hacking cough, a throbbing head, a
sore throat, and a nose so stuffed it
feels as if you'll never breathe free and clear again. You've got a cold -- or
maybe even the flu -- and all you want to do is crawl in bed and
sleep.
Until you get there. That's when you realize your symptoms are turning any
chance for a solid night's rest into the impossible dream.
"It's true that many cold and flu symptoms seem to get worse at night, and
they can interfere with sleep just at the critical time when your body needs
rest the most," says WebMD sleep expert Michael Breus, PhD, director of
TheSleepDoctor.org.
But how and why does this happen?
In addition to the pure discomfort of the symptoms themselves, Breus explains
that increased mucus production, along with overall congestion, forces us to
breathe through our mouth instead of our nose. When we lie down, congestion can
seem worse.
Tufts University sleep expert Edwin Trayner, MD, explains that mouth
breathing also irritates airways, causing us to cough more often, which in turn
can also disrupt sleep.
"Plus, when we are sick our body releases certain cytokines [immune factors]
into the bloodstream, some of which are mediators of sleep. So that can also
have a disrupting influence," says Trayner, director of the sleep disorders
center at Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston and an assistant
professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.
The end result, say experts, is you toss and turn all night. And even if you
do fall asleep, you wake up feeling drained and tired, with
cold and flu
symptoms seemingly worse.
For Better Sleep, Choose Cold Drugs Wisely
Although many of us turn to cold medicines at night, they may not always help
you sleep better. In fact, depending on what you choose, it might actually make
things temporarily worse.
"Everybody can react to these medicines differently. For some they can bring
on sleepiness, but others may find it makes them feel jittery and nervous and
actually keep them from falling asleep or staying asleep," says Nicholas
Popovich, PhD, professor of pharmacy administration and department head at the
University of Chicago at Illinois College of Pharmacy.
Among the ingredients Popovich says are most likely to keep you up at night:
pseudoephedrine, a decongestant commonly found in cold pills and some cough
medicines. This can make some people jittery.
Another common ingredient, diphenhydramine, found in Benadryl and many other
all-purpose cold and allergy medications, can have a paradoxical effect --
making some sleepy, others not.
"Until you know how you personally react, it's best to avoid them after 6
p.m., particularly if you have to be at work the next day," says Popovich.
Fortunately, there are other things you can try. To unclog that stuffy nose
before bedtime, Popovich recommends a topical nasal spray decongestant.
"The effects are mostly localized, so you're less likely to get that jittery
feeling," he says. If you find you are still sensitive to the effects, he
recommends a saline nasal spray, which is purified salt water.
"This will have no negative impact on your ability to sleep, and it can help
flush out and irrigate your nose and make breathing somewhat easier -- and that
means you'll sleep better," he says.
Interactive Slideshows