It’s easy to see the effects of allergies in the day time. There are thunderous sneezes that can be heard from across the house and eyes so watery that they could fill buckets. Some families go through so much Kleenex during allergy season that they start looking up stock prices of tissue paper. We can see, hear, and feel how allergies affect us during the day, but your allergies could be affecting you at night as well.
Common allergy symptoms may include: a runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, aching, wheezing, coughing, trouble breathing, and hives or rashes. But allergies can also leave you feeling tired or fatigued. All of those symptoms that send you reaching for a tissue can disrupt your sleep and keep you up at night, making it difficult for you to get the rest that you need to feel refreshed and energized in the morning. It’s common for people who suffer from allergies to also have sleeping problems.
One study found that allergic rhinitis not only impairs a person’s ability to sleep, but also that the severity of a person’s allergy symptoms has a direct affect on the quality of sleep. Patients with severe allergy symptoms found it much more difficult to sleep than those with mild allergy symptoms.
We all know the importance of sleep, and how harmful a lack of sleep can be. Sleep problems have been repeatedly linked to depression, hypertension, diabetes, and other health problems. That’s not to say that sleep deprivation is the direct cause of those complications, but lack of sleep does facilitate health problems. Sleep problems have also been associated with a lack of focus, impaired cognitive function, and decreased performance at school or work.
It could be that your allergies are affecting your sleep and you don’t even know it. On the other hand, maybe your allergies are affecting your sleep, but you don’t know what to do about it. If you’re struggling with a sleep problem or a sleep disorder, it may be time to see a specialist.