8 Tips to Sleep Better When You’re Sick

Not easy to sleep when you are sick: stuffy nose, pain, discomfort, etc. In order to promote the recovery of the body, it is however essential to sleep well. Here are a few tips for you.

1. Air the room before going to bed

To renew the air, it is necessary to ventilate the room at least 10 minutes a day.

An easy habit to take in summer, a little less so in winter.

This gesture must be practiced every day, especially when one is sick to eliminate microbes and promote good sleep.

2. Use a humidifier

When the air is too dry, the vocal cords and mucous membranes dry up. In case of ENT infection, it leads to coughing and pain.

By adding a few drops of essential oils of ravintsara or tea tree, the ambient air will be sanitized and help to breathe better. The humidifier should be turned on 30 minutes before bedtime and turned off for the night.

3. Flush your nose

Nothing is more unpleasant than sleeping when you have a blocked or stuffy nose. Difficulty in breathing hinders falling asleep or causes micro-awakenings.

Before going to bed, it is advisable to flush your nose with saline. Serum removes mucus produced in excess and flushes out bacteria and viruses from the nasal cavity.

4. Do not overheat the room

The ideal temperature of the room should not exceed 19 degrees.

When you're sick, you tend to increase the heating. This is not a good idea because it lowers the humidity and dries the airways, which is not conducive to sleep and healing.

5. Raise your pillow

In the extended position, the pressure on the sinuses is maximum. If you have sinusitis or stuffy nose, lying down will cause discomfort or even headaches.

Raise your pillows and straighten to sleep in an inclined position to reduce pressure.

6. Drink a cup of hot milk with honey

Milk contains an amino acid called tryptophan which is known to effectively promote sleep.

It also has softening virtues, and so will calm a sore throat, responsible for insomnia.

By adding honey, its properties will be increased tenfold.

7. Put on socks

When you're sick, it's not uncommon to wake up in the middle of the night feeling cold. To limit the awakenings at night, it is necessary to warm the ends of the feet.

By wearing socks, the temperature of the feet increases, the blood circulates better and, thus, promotes the warming of the body. However, be careful not to over cover, especially if you have a fever, because being too hot reduces quality of sleep and causes awakenings at night.

8. Eliminate noise and visual stimulis

Falling asleep with pain or difficulty breathing is not easy. Put the odds on your side by eliminating the light sources (alarm clock, bedside lamp) or sound (outside noise, TV, etc.).

Sleep is favored by a silent and dark atmosphere.