Calm bedroom at night with fresh bedding and a window onto trees

Hay Fever and Sleep: How to Get a Better Night in Pollen Season

Ask anyone with hay fever about their worst symptom and many will say the same thing: the nights. A blocked nose, an itchy throat and streaming eyes are hard enough during the day. At night they can stop you falling asleep, wake you in the early hours and leave you groggy the next morning.

The good news is that a few changes to your bedroom and bedtime routine can make a real difference.

Why hay fever and sleep don't mix

  • Congestion. Lying flat makes a blocked nose feel worse, and breathing through your mouth can leave you with a dry throat and broken sleep.
  • Pollen in the bedroom. Pollen comes in on your hair, skin and clothes, and through open windows in the evening as it settles.
  • Drowsy medication. Some older antihistamines cause daytime drowsiness, which can throw off your natural sleep pattern.

Make your bedroom a low-pollen zone

  • Close bedroom windows from early evening during high-pollen months.
  • Shower and wash your hair before bed so you are not carrying the day's pollen onto your pillow.
  • Keep outdoor clothes out of the bedroom. Change in another room if you can.
  • Wash bedding weekly at 60°C and dry it indoors on high-pollen days.
  • Keep pets off the bed, as their fur carries pollen.
  • Consider a HEPA air purifier in the bedroom, since it is the room you spend the longest unbroken stretch in.

Bedtime habits that help

  • Raise your head slightly with an extra pillow to ease a blocked nose.
  • Try a saline nasal rinse before bed to clear pollen from your nose.
  • Keep a glass of water by the bed for a dry throat.
  • Keep to a regular bedtime, even on bad nights, so your body clock stays steady.
  • Limit screens in the last hour before sleep, which helps whether or not hay fever is involved.

Talk to your pharmacist about timing

If your symptoms are worst at night, it is worth asking your pharmacist whether a different type of antihistamine, or taking it at a different time of day, would suit you better. Non-drowsy options are widely available.

Plan ahead for next season

Autumn and winter are a good time to set up your bedroom for spring: buy a purifier, swap to washable bedding and get into the habit of an evening shower. When the first tree pollen arrives in late winter, you will already be prepared.

Healthy living starts with the breath. Join the Respahealth list at the bottom of this page for pollen-season updates and first access to the 2027 Season Pack.

Related reading

This article is general information, not medical advice. If your symptoms are getting worse or not settling, speak to a pharmacist or your GP.

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