Pollen count: How to sleep if you have hay fever and the count is high

The pollen count across England today has been forecast as ‘very high’ by the Met Office, and this could mean another sleepless night for hay fever sufferers. This is because pollen in the air settles at night, sticking to clothes, hair and furniture, triggering the symptoms of hay fever. A good night’s sleep could be key to managing your hay fever symptoms, according to a top airborne allergens expert. But how do you achieve a good night’s sleep if your hay fever is keeping you awake half the night?

How do you achieve a good night’s sleep if your hay fever is keeping you awake half the night?

Famous airborne allergens expert and creator of HayMax allergen barrier balms, Max Wiseberg advises that getting a good night’s sleep is one of the best ways to help manage your hay fever.

“A study from National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit (NPARU) has shown that people who slept at least seven hours a night suffered significantly milder symptoms than those who slept no more than 5 hours each night”, explains Max.

“However, when you suffer from hay fever, your sleep often suffers too, with sneezing, itchiness and runny nose keeping you awake. So it becomes a vicious circle. You get less sleep, which makes your hay fever worse, so you sleep less, and so it goes on. There seems no escape.

“However there are several things you can do to help get a good night’s sleep, turning it into a virtuous circle instead. And, as with many other things, prevention is so much better than cure”

Max recommends:

• Following a regular bedtime routine
• Taking a shower or bath before bed – this will not only wash away pollen collected in your hair during the day, but will also relax you
• Applying an organic allergen barrier balm – Max says try HayMax around the rim of the nostrils and immediately after washing or showering

Max explained: “Independent studies have shown that HayMax traps over a third of the pollen before it gets into the body: less pollen, less reaction.”

Other tips include:

• Ensuring you wash bedding very regularly to remove allergens – pollen grains come indoors borne on the air and stick to bedding
• Frequently washing – covering the bed with a sheet which is carefully folded and stored away from the bed during the night, before you get into bed, and turning pillows just before you get in, can all help reduce symptoms. Make sure you dry bedding indoors, as outdoor drying on a clothes line can mean the wind blows pollen on to them
• Vacuuming the bedroom regularly, especially beds and fabrics such as curtains to remove pollen particles

Other ways hay fever can be managed at night are limiting your exposure to pollen during the peak evening periods, keeping your pet out the bedroom, and keeping bedroom windows closed during the day.

Max advised: “Limit your exposure to pollen during the peak evening period. Pollen is released early in the morning and travels upwards as the air warms up. In the evening, as the air cools, it moves back down again.

“Symptoms are usually worst during the evening, when the pollen grains reach nose height, so avoid going out then.

“If you own a pet such as a cat or dog, ensure that you keep it out of your bedroom, as pollen particles will collect in its fur and be dispersed into the room.

“Keep bedroom windows closed during the day and night to keep pollen out and use an air conditioner preferably with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Arresting) filter to capture the pollen particles and circulate the air.”

High pollen counts can also trigger a life-threatening condition – here are tips to avoid this. 

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