When we get sick, there is nothing more exasperating than feeling exhausted and unable to sleep. Rest is essential because it allows the body to fight the state of malaise, so a good restful sleep is a fundamental element in such circumstances. If you are an adult and find it hard to fall asleep when you get sick, try to alleviate the symptoms that most plague you at bedtime, create a relaxing atmosphere to doze off, and choose the right medications.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Relieving Symptoms Before Bedtime
Step 1. Learn to cure fever
Fever is considered a defense of the body necessary to fight infections, so unless it exceeds 39 ° C (in adults), it is preferable to let it take its course rather than trying to lower it. However, there are some measures that allow you to make a high fever more bearable before going to bed.
- If it's very high (over 39 ° C), try ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or aspirin. Make sure you are taking the correct dose of the medicine by following the directions in the package insert and call your doctor if it exceeds 39.5 ° C or if it lasts more than three days.
- If she's not very tall, wear lighter pajamas, take off the blankets and sleep only with the sheets, or lie naked if it feels more comfortable. You can also go to bed with damp hair or put a wet washcloth on your forehead or neck while you sleep, as long as you don't feel too cold.
Step 2. Treat your cough
Coughing fits impair the quality of sleep. Try to take a more upright position using a few extra pillows while you sleep, otherwise lie on your side to prevent fluids from accumulating in the lungs.
- Before going to bed, try taking a spoonful of honey to protect your throat. You can also add it to an herbal tea to relieve coughing during sleep.
- If the cough is oily, or accompanied by the production of phlegm, take an expectorant drug to stimulate the expulsion of secretions accumulated in the respiratory tract about an hour before bedtime.
- You can also try using a cough suppressant or balsamic ointment, such as Vicks Vaporub.
Step 3. Relieve muscle aches before going to bed
It is very difficult to fall asleep when it hurts you somewhere, be it from a flu, injury or infection. By calming the pain, you will be able to fall asleep more easily and rest longer.
- Take a pain reliever, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, half an hour before bed.
- If the pain persists, try heat. Place a hot water bottle on the painful areas. Get an electric heating pad with heat and timer settings so you can use it safely when you want to go to bed.
Step 4. Treat your sore throat
It is not easy to fall asleep with a sore throat because it seems to get worse every time when you go to bed.
- Before going to bed, drink a warm lemon and honey tea. For example, you can make a chamomile or raspberry tea by adding a few slices of lemon to hot water and a couple of teaspoons of honey. The heat will help relieve a sore throat, so you can choose any type of herbal tea as long as the infusion does not contain theine.
- Start taking a long-acting pain reliever, such as ibuprofen, about 30 minutes before bed. When you need to lie down, try nebulizing a local anesthetic for your throat. It will temporarily dull the pain allowing you to fall asleep.
- Keep a glass of water on your nightstand to keep yourself hydrated. Take a sip every time you wake up during the night. Squeeze a teddy bear or hot pack to distract yourself. Get some honey to soothe a sore throat.
Step 5. Relieves nausea and stomach pain
Certain gastrointestinal symptoms, such as gas, bloating, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, can keep you up all night. Take a suitable medication before bed to feel better.
- To combat nausea, you can also try drinking ginger tea. If you have fresh ginger and lemon available, cut them into slices and steep them in 240ml boiling water for five minutes. Add some honey and sip slowly before going to bed. This tea will help calm your stomach.
- If you have a heating pad, sleep curled up around the warm compress. If not, fill a sock with dry corn or uncooked rice and tie the end tightly, then heat it in the microwave for a minute. The contents will keep warm and act as a heating pad.
Step 6. Relieves runny nose or nasal congestion
If the nose is runny or congested, it is more difficult to breathe and, therefore, to sleep. Try these solutions when you go to bed:
- Lift your head by adding a pillow or two. Whether it's a runny nose or nasal congestion, this position will help drain your sinuses while you sleep, making breathing easier.
- Run a nasal irrigation with the neti pot or apply a saline spray solution before going to bed. Afterward, blow your nose, take medication to relieve runny nose or congestion, then keep a packet of tissues on the nightstand. You will likely have to blow your nose all night, but the drug should thin the mucus.
- If you are congested and have trouble breathing through your nose, apply a double layer of balm or petroleum jelly to your lips and try to breathe through your mouth while you sleep.
Part 2 of 4: Taking the Right Steps to Sleep Well
Step 1. Do not take medications that can upset you before going to bed
If antihistamines keep you awake, be sure to take the last dose a few hours before bed. The ideal would be to take a drug that does not stimulate brain activity, but sometimes there are no viable alternatives. The best thing to do is to hope that the body's response to the medicine is reduced before going to bed.
Step 2. Get into the correct sleeping position if you are congested
When you are lying down, the blood is not forced to counteract the force of gravity to get into the inflamed veins and tissues of the nose. This is why you may feel the need to sit on the bed from time to time to clear your nose when you have a cold.
Lift your head and chest with a few pillows when trying to fall asleep, allowing gravity to keep nasal inflammation at bay
Step 3. Use a nasal spray before going to bed
A stuffy nose prevents you from breathing well, but also prevents you from resting properly when you are cold. Use a nasal spray just before bed and apply it as many times as needed throughout the night to keep the nasal passages clear.
- Decongestant sprays relieve inflammation of the sinuses and nose tissues. You can buy them without a prescription, but they should not be used for an extended period of time, up to three days.
- Saline-based nasal sprays do not contain substances capable of relieving inflammation, but they effectively dissolve mucus and facilitate the expulsion of secretions. You can use them as many times as you need.
- If the active ingredients in spray products keep you awake, nasal patches are a great alternative.
Step 4. Have a hot drink just before bedtime
Sometimes, malaise can make you so weak that you lose your appetite and desire to drink, but it's important to keep your body hydrated if you want to heal quickly. However, the most important thing to get a good night's sleep is to drink something warm just before bed because it helps relieve a sore throat, inhibit coughing and loosen mucus that congestes the airways and hinders breathing.
- Avoid caffeinated or theine-containing drinks, such as coffee and tea, so opt for the decaffeinated or decaffeinated version of your favorite beverage.
- At the supermarket you can find particularly effective herbal teas to fight colds added with vitamin C or echinacea.
Part 3 of 4: Creating a Good Sleep Environment
Step 1. Turn on the bedroom humidifier
It is a device which, by producing water vapor, increases the level of humidity in the surrounding environment. Moist air helps loosen mucus, making it easier for air to pass through the nasal passages while you sleep.
- However, the humidifier noise may keep you awake, so choose a quiet appliance. If you have to buy it, read the online reviews to buy a little noisy one.
- Try placing it just outside the bedroom to ensure humidity is still there, but with less noise.
Step 2. Set your heating thermostat to a moderately low temperature, but don't overdo it
Extreme temperatures, whether they are too high or too low, prevent you from sleeping well. During the day, the brain, which unconsciously regulates the body's thermal conditions, tries to reach different internal temperatures than when you sleep. So, by slightly reducing the heat in the bedroom, you help the body to lower the internal temperature and you will rest better. The ideal would be a temperature of 20 ° C.
Step 3. Sleep in the dark
You may also think that reading a book or watching TV will help you fall asleep, but either way the light risks keeping you up late. As the eyes absorb and process it, the nervous system stimulates the parts of the brain that regulate hormones and body temperature. Consequently, the chemical mechanisms that take place in the body keep the attention threshold high and it becomes more difficult to fall asleep.
- When you have to go to bed, turn off all light sources and cover up any electronic devices that blink because they keep the brain active.
- Stop using all electronic devices - including mobile phones, tablets and laptops - at least half an hour or even a few hours before bed, because the blue light emitted by the screens keeps you awake.
Step 4. Make your surroundings calm and relaxing
If someone else in the house is listening to music or watching TV, ask them to turn the volume down just enough to not hear it from the bedroom. The fewer distractions there are, the more likely you are to fall asleep.
Part 4 of 4: Choosing the Right Drugs
Step 1. Learn about your drug reactions
While the package insert describes side effects and responses to medications well, you need to pay attention to how your body behaves when you take certain substances.
For example, some people can sleep with antihistamines, while others complain of strange insomnia
Step 2. Avoid cold and flu medications based on ephedrine or pseudoephedrine
To actually know what they contain, you should read the chemical composition on the package, but still avoid this class of medicines if you are trying to sleep well. Although decongestants help you breathe better, they are also mildly stimulating and can keep you awake.
Step 3. Interpret the directions written on the package
The packages of over-the-counter medicines often carry writings that have the task of attracting the consumer rather than informing him. Therefore, it is important to recognize the difference between certain terms, such as "does not cause sleepiness", "for the night" or "for the day".
- Drugs that "do not cause drowsiness" do not contain sleep-inducing ingredients. However, this does not mean that they are specifically formulated to keep you awake or to prevent you from falling asleep. You also don't have to assume that they do not cause any effect: for example, many contain pseudoephedrine.
- "Nighttime" medicines contain sleep-inducing substances. You have to be careful not to mix them or exceed the recommended doses. If you are already taking this class of drugs to treat fever or aches, do not take any other drugs to manage the same symptoms.
- Medicines "for the day" often produce the same effects as those that "do not cause drowsiness" or may contain caffeine to increase alertness. Read the package leaflet carefully to know its contents. Do not assume that this class of drugs is only formulated to not make you drowsy. If you take it before bed, it may keep you awake.
Step 4. Be wary of "overnight" medications in general
While they can make you fall asleep quickly, they don't guarantee a good restful sleep. Also, the alcohol present in some compositions can dehydrate you while you sleep, slowing down the healing process.
Some of these medicines can be addictive. Prolonged use risks compromising sleep quality
Advice
- Try to get enough sleep for your body to have a chance to fight off the disease. Don't go to bed too late and don't get up too early.
- Don't hold back vomiting. It is a natural mechanism by which the body gets rid of pathogens. After throwing up, drink some water to clean your mouth.
- If you throw up, take a quick shower before going back to bed.
- Do not brush your teeth immediately after vomiting as you risk damaging them further.
