If you often wake up with a stuffy nose, watery eyes, itchy skin, or constant sneezing, this article is for you.
A restful sleep is vital to keeping your body going throughout the day. Quality sleep is also crucial for your overall health and well-being. However, if you suffer from constant sneezing, itching, or nose blockage caused by allergies, your sleep quality may also be compromised.
With our hot and humid weather in Singapore, it’s no doubt that many people suffer from allergy and asthma symptoms. The thing is that your supposedly safe space for sleeping and resting is not safe from the attacks of allergens. Luckily, there are several ways to combat allergens in your bedroom to help you snooze better.
Can Allergies Affect Your Sleep?
Yes, allergy symptoms can affect the quality of your sleep. If you suffer from sneezing, watery eyes, itching, or sudden temperature changes, your body will fail to reach a restful state at night. These allergy symptoms can also affect your breathing, which is most noticeable at night and early in the morning.
When allergy symptoms disrupt your sleep, you might end up being sleep-deprived and wake up grumpy and distracted in the morning. Studies show that 1 out of 3 people in Singapore suffer from allergic reactions.
Some common symptoms of allergies are:
- Sneezing
- Wheezing
- Coughing
- Postnasal drip
- Itchy and watery eyes
- Skin irritation
- Skin rashes
- Headache
Allergies can be seasonal, year-round, or caused by your sleeping environment itself, especially when it’s humid or when you co sleep with your pet. Some culprits that cause allergy symptoms in your sleep include:
- Pollen
- Smoke
- Dust
- Dust mites
- Mould and mildew
- Pet dander
Aside from disrupting your sleep, allergy symptoms tend to wake you up earlier than necessary, resulting in inadequate rest. Another problem with a stuffy nose caused by allergies is the blockage of your air passages, which causes some difficulties in your breathing. This condition is called sleep apnea, which is one of the most common disruptions that affect your sleep.
A night of allergy-induced sleep deprivation can greatly impact your sleep quality for several days. Lack of quality sleep can also affect your work performance and negatively affect your health.
Here are some of the most common sleep disturbances caused by allergy symptoms:
- Trouble falling asleep due to the discomfort
- Trouble staying asleep
- Sleep apnea
- Insomnia
- Snoring
- Short sleep duration
- Poor sleep quality
- Daytime fatigue
- Morning headaches
- Restless sleep
- Daytime sleepiness
People who suffer from allergy symptoms tend to have difficulties falling and staying asleep. Moreover, it’s more difficult to fall back to sleep after waking up from allergy symptoms. This lack of quality sleep can also have a negative impact on children's physical and cognitive development, resulting in missed school days, behavioural issues, and concentration problems.
Can Your Mattress Cause Allergies?
Your bedroom is supposedly a place where you relax after a long and tiring day, but it can also be a notorious source of allergens. Your mattress is a good place to house dust mites, pet dander, mould, and mildew that can cause allergy and asthma symptoms.
As your mattress ages, it accumulates a lot of sweat, dead skin cells, and oils that feed the microscopic dust mites. Unlike bed bugs, dust mites don’t bite, but their droppings can cause allergy symptoms and asthma attacks, especially in people who are sensitive to them.
Dust mites thrive in warm and humid areas and feed on dead skin cells. They are minute and not visible to the naked eye, making them unnoticeable. Some people claim that dust mites make mattresses heavier, but there is not enough evidence for this claim.
The signs of dust mite allergies include:
- Nasal congestion
- Sneezing
- Skin irritation
- Itchy eyes and nose
- Watery eyes
- Itchy throat
- Coughing
Dust mites are hard to detect and avoid. Luckily, there are ways to protect yourself and your mattress from persistent dust mite growth, which we’ll talk about later.
Another notorious allergen that thrives in our mattresses is mould growth, which is common in hot and humid areas.
When the humidity in your bedroom is high, excess moisture builds up on the surfaces of your bedroom, including your walls and mattress. This excess moisture causes mould buildup that triggers allergy symptoms. Moreover, mould and mildew can worsen asthma attacks and other respiratory issues.
How Can You Sleep Better with Allergies?
Try an Air Purifier
Dust, dust mites, pollen, smoke, and other elements can enter your sleep sanctuary and cause multiple troubles during sleep. An air purifier can filter out the allergens and help you breathe better at night.
Always Keep Your Bedroom Dust-Free
It’s vital to always keep your bedroom clean and dust-free, from your curtains to your bed frame, wardrobe, mattress, and other surfaces. Clean your bedroom regularly, especially your curtains, carpets, and mattress that are prone to collecting dust, dirt, pollen, and pet dander.
Regularly Wash Your Bedding Accessories
Keep allergies at bay by washing your bed sheets, blankets, and other bedding accessories at least once a week. If you often suffer from allergy symptoms or if you allow your pet in your room, wash your bedding more frequently. If it is possible, give your furry friend a different bed so you don’t have to worry about too much pet dander sticking on your mattress or any pee accidents that cause mould buildup.
Shower Before Bed
Keep your body comfortable and wash the pollen away with a refreshing shower before going to bed. However, when you do this, make sure to let your hair dry before laying it on your pillow, or it’ll end up with yellow stains and mould growth.
Use a Mattress Protector
Guard your mattress against dust mites with the help of a mattress protector. A mattress protector will also make cleaning more convenient since you can simply strip it off the mattress and have it washed with other bedding accessories.
Get a Hypoallergenic Mattress
Thanks to innovation, many mattresses in Singapore now come with anti-dust mite, antibacterial, antifungal, and hypoallergenic properties that make them less susceptible to allergen buildup. It’s also good to check for mattress certifications like OEKO-TEX to ensure the safety of the materials.
Consult Your Doctor
If allergy symptoms persist, it’s best to visit a doctor to determine the causes and identify the right medications or lifestyle changes to alleviate the symptoms.
Enjoy a Worry-Free Sleep with Somnuz
Catch those ZZzzzs with no worries when you get a high-quality Somnuz mattress. Our range of mattresses in Singapore are made from premium breathable materials to wick away excess moisture and prevent mould buildup. Each of our mattresses has anti-dust mite, antibacterial, and antifungal properties to help you feel comfy and safe throughout the night.
Check out our online mattress collection or visit our experience centres to see which mattress suits you the best.
DISCLAIMER: All the information, including the texts, images, and other materials on this website, are for educational purposes only. Although we strive to present accurate information to our readers, no material on the Somnuz website is a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified medical professional concerning your health. NEVER disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read in this article.