Sleeping Better When You're Sick
- By Alyssa Ruffing
- Oct 3, 2019
With flu season upon us, the odds of you or a member of your family coming down with even a small cold are pretty high. While there are absolutely several ways to avoid getting sick this cold and flu season, it is always good to be aware of what you can do to sleep your best when you are feeling under the weather.
Take a hot shower before bed
Not only will you feel clean and relaxed, but you will feel less congested. Steam from the hot shower is a very effective and natural way to reduce congestion as well as help you breath easier in general.
Get to bed as early as possible
While you are sick, making sure you are getting the adequate amount of rest you need is vital. The only way you will get better is to make sure that you are getting at least the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Get yourself to bed and unplug from all of your electronics. Just because you are laying in bed, perhaps talking to your spouse, kids, reading, or watching TV doesn’t mean that you are really sleeping. Make sure to stick to an early bed time while you are sick, and make no excuses for getting that extra rest that you need to recover.
Pay attention to the medicine you’re taking
Some cold and flu medications contain ingredients that may make it more difficult for you to fall asleep. The decongestant pseudoephedrine, which is found in some cough and cold medicines can leave you feeling restless. Be sure to read over the active ingredients in anything you are taking to make sure that it is not affecting your sleep. While we are not doctors, there are absolutely common ingredients found that may make it harder to fall asleep.
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