by Dr Deborah Lee, Dr Fox Online Pharmacy
Photo by Brittany Colette on Unsplash
Now the hay fever season is in full swing, many sufferers will not be getting a great night’s sleep. A practical approach is to think about what you can do to minimize your exposure to pollen when you get into bed at night.
Take a look at the following tips and tricks that should help you sleep better.
Shower before bed
A hot steamy shower will remove any pollen stuck to your skin and hair and help clear congested airways.
Keep the windows closed
Sleep specialists recommend people with hay fever keep their windows closed and sleep with the windows shut in the hay fever season, even when it’s hot. Try using a fan and put a bowl of iced water in front. This will cause a lovely icy spray and help cool you down.
Keep pets out of the bedroom
Pets can have pollen stuck to their fur or paws and bring pollen into the bedroom. Plus, anyone allergic to pollen is more likely to be allergic to other allergens such as pet hair, pet dander (sloughed-off skin cells), feathers, house dust bite and their faeces, and mould – all of which pets bring into the bedroom and even into the bed.
Raise the head of the bed
You can raise the head of the bed very simply by putting a couple of books under the legs at the head end. By elevating the bed head, you will be sleeping with your body slightly raised, which will help your sinuses to drain and you will breathe more easily when you sleep.
Wash your duvet and pillows
Check the washing instructions and wash or replace these at the beginning of the hay fever season. Allergy sufferers should choose a duvet made of synthetic fibre. Also, wash any soft toys, cushions, throws, towels and dressing gowns.
Use anti-allergy bedding
When you use anti-allergy mattress protectors and pillow protectors, the mattress and pillows are firmly wrapped in a fabric with tightly knit fibres that does not encourage dust to gather.
Go for anti-allergy bed linen, such as cotton, silk or bamboo. Anti-allergy bedding has been treated in some way to discourage infestation with house dust mites. It’s well worth the investment.
Steam clean
Steam clean your soft furnishings such as carpets and curtains. This will wash out house dust mites. In one study, steam cleaning reduced the concentration of house dust mites by 87%.
Vacuum the room regularly
For the best results, vacuum the room every day using a vacuum cleaner with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. This will remove 99.9% of dust, pollen and indeed any particles 0.3 microns in size or less.
Damp dust the surfaces
Dust regularly with a damp cloth that actually picks up the dust and doesn’t just swish it around a bit. Spraying any surfaces with polish helps prevent the dust from settling.
You can make your own dust-repellant formula by mixing two cups of water with one cup of white wine vinegar, two tablespoons of olive oil plus a few drops of liquid soap. Put it in a spray bottle and spritz it onto any hard surfaces.
Consider an air purifier
Air purifiers contain a HEPA filter and remove any tiny particles such as pollen and dust from the atmosphere. They should be run continuously when you are at home during the hay fever season.
Final thoughts
There are so many ways to discourage those pesky house dust mites from taking root in your bedroom. It does involve quite an effort on your part, but the results will be well worth it. Everyone needs a good night’s sleep.
- What could you do to get your bedroom house-dust-free this summer?
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