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Sleep Disorder

4 min.

13 June 2023

How to sleep with hay fever

#allergies #summer #hayfever

As summer is nearly in full swing and the pollen count has been on the rise, many people will be suffering from the symptoms of hayfever. Hayfever is more common in the warmer months as pollen increases, and there can be some irritating symptoms. These symptoms will have varying degrees of severity depending on your sensitivity. 

Common symptoms of hay fever include frequent sneezing, a blocked or runny nose and itchy eyes. Hay fever is commonly understood in medical terms as allergic rhinitis, as those with a sensitivity to pollen may also experience symptoms from dust, mould and more. There may be more symptoms too, which can affect both your ability and the quality of your sleep, which can be frustrating if you have a good sleep routine.

Keep reading to get some tips on how to reduce the impact of hay fever on your sleep, as well as get some recommendations for anti-allergen sleep products that can help you.

When is hay fever season?

Hay fever season is usually when the weather is warmer. Although this changes every year depending on the climate, hay fever season usually occurs when spring and summer weather begins.

Different types of pollen can come from different parts of nature including tree pollen, flower pollen and grass pollen. Some people may experience different reactions to different pollen too.

How to alleviate hay fever symptoms for better sleep

If you can’t sleep because of hay fever you may be looking to alleviate your symptoms. Commonly you can find ways to prevent hay fever. One tip is to wear wrap-around sunglasses during the day to minimise pollen contact with your eyes. You can shower and wash your hands if you believe you have come in contact with pollen and keep your windows closed.

Keeping windows closed may be especially important in the summer months when the temptation is there to keep air circulating. However, if you are a severe hay fever sufferer it may be best to use an indoor fan.

If you’re suffering from a blocked nose and other nasal congestion you can try using a steamer or air purifier in your bedroom. This can help clear the air and stop the impact of pollen further.

According to a study there is a suggested link between allergic rhinitis and sleep disorders. The study showed that allergic rhinitis was associated with higher risks of sleep disorders, including insomnia, restless sleep and obstructive sleep apnea. It can be stressful to think about what hay fever can cause but we’re here to help you with information and sleep tips to improve your sleep.

Do hayfever tablets help you sleep?

Commonly, antihistamines and hay fever tablets are used by people suffering with hay fever symptoms. If you’re suffering from this you can commonly get over the counter medication that can help you. These are great at helping alleviate symptoms when you need them.

Although we would not recommend using these tablets to help you sleep specifically, it is common that antihistamines can cause drowsiness. Such use, although occasionally okay, may disrupt your circadian rhythm further and increase tolerance if you take too many. Overall it's best to seek advice and proceed using these medications with caution.

Products that can help you sleep better 

If you’re looking for more innovative ways to stop hay fever and reduce the impact of symptoms, there are many sleep products that can help you fall asleep. In this blog post we have recommended anti-allergen sleep products that can help you during hay fever season. 

There are many exciting options to help combat allergy symptoms, such as the The Emma Sleep Microfibre Pillow. This is a hypoallergenic pillow that will help hay fever sufferers.

Get more sleep tips from Sunrise by Emma

As it gets warmer, it’s not just hay fever that may be impacting sleep. This is why we would recommend keeping up to date with our latest sleep health tips and browsing our articles on sleep wellness. We care how your sleep is affected all year round and our articles are always here to help.


Remember too, if you are looking for the latest in sleep technology with an array of products that can help reduce the impact of hay fever, browse our sleep products on the Emma Shop.

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