Tips For Sleeping Well While You’re Sick

1) Be Careful With Cold Meds. Even though your first instinct might be to hit up the pharmacy, turns out, everyone reacts to nighttime medications differently. Some people may even have adverse reactions that keep them up instead of lulling them to sleep, like feeling jittery or anxious, or experiencing a rapid heartbeat. The decongestant pseudoephedrine might be behind these symptoms, according to WebMD.

2) Why Elevating Your Head Works.Propping yourself (preferably up on a wedge pillow to protect your neck) puts gravity back to work in your favor, says Jennifer Collins, M.D., an assistant professor of allergy and immunology at The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. Instead of choking on that unfortunate post-nasal drip, you’ll breathe more easily through the nose and alleviate any sinus pressure that may have moved into the ears while lying down flat, she says.

3) Get Steamy. Sure, it’s relaxing. But the real reason a hot bath or shower lulls you to sleep is thanks to the cooling effect after you step out of the tub. This drop in temperature helps trigger your body to prepare for sleep. But steam also offers cold and flu symptom relief. That moisture in the air can help loosen congestion in your nose and chest, keep your entire body moisturized and help you breathe easier while you sleep, says Collins. A humidifier can help, too!

Get the rest of the tips here.