How to Sleep Soundly With a Stuffy Nose: Home Remedies for Easier Breathing at Night

One of the most important things we can do when healing from a cold or other respiratory illness is get a good night’s sleep. But when we turn in for the night, nasal congestion can make falling and staying asleep difficult, leaving many of us wondering “how do I sleep with a stuffy nose?” Thankfully, there are simple strategies you can do before bed and throughout the day that can help. If you’re wondering how to sleep with a stuffy nose, keep reading for expert advice to breathe easier and sleep deeper.

Why is it difficult to sleep with a stuffy nose?

When you have a stuffy nose, it can be hard for air to enter the airways and reach the lungs. “The body needs to have a steady, low respiratory rate to actually fall into the deeper stages of sleep,” explains Carleara Weiss, PhD, MS, RN, clinician scientist of behavioral sleep medicine and sleep science advisor and Aeroflow Sleep.

Lying down doesn’t help, since it can increase bothersome post nasal drip and causes congestion to pool in your sinuses. Weiss adds that a stuffy nose can be caused by illnesses that also cause a fever or muscle aches that make you uncomfortable and impact your ability to sleep well.

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The good news? Over-the-counter and natural remedies can be effective ways to deal with bothersome nasal symptoms so you can catch restful Zzz’s. 

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What to do during the day to sleep better with a stuffy nose

Taking care of your sinuses all day long can make sleeping while congested a cinch.

Stay hydrated

Weiss says staying hydrated during the day is one of the best things you can do to help relieve congestion and sleep better with a stuffy nose. Consider opting for warm drinks like hot water, tea and broth, since they may be more effective at thinning and clearing mucus than cold liquids, per research in the journal Chest.

Avoid fragrances

Strong scents like those from perfumes or cleaning products can “increase irritability on the nose and the upper airways, making it more difficult to clear and more bothersome,” notes Weiss.

Indeed, research in Clinical & Experimental Allergy found that perfumes can increase histamine release, worsening upper respiratory symptoms like a stuffy nose. While it can be difficult to avoid fragrances when we’re out and about, Weiss suggests steering clear of scented personal products and other fragrances whenever possible.

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Try a spicy spray

Studies show that capsaicin, the compound that makes peppers spicy, helps clear sinuses when used as an intranasal spray. In fact, it eased congestion for 74 percent of subjects in a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. One capsaicin spray to try: Sinus Plumber All Natural Nasal Spray.

While little research has been done on eating foods rich in capsaicin for easing congestion, Weiss says that many people experience less congestion after eating spicy foods since they can temporarily open the airways and clear a blocked nose, so slurp up that spicy ramen!

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What to do in the evening to sleep better with a stuffy nose

Taking these simple steps before you turn in for the night can help you sleep with a stuffy nose and make it easier to breathe.

Sip a soothing tea

While it may not necessarily clear out your sinuses, sipping a mug of warm chamomile tea can help you drift off faster, notes Weiss. In fact, research in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies found that folks who enjoyed the tea before bed drifted off 16 minutes faster.

Rinse your nasal passages

Rinsing your sinuses with a saline spray or a Neti Pot helps eliminate built up mucus and improve airflow. Use a drugstore option like Arm & Hammer Simply Saline, or consider making your own salt water rinse with distilled water and Dead Sea salts. The salts contain minerals like magnesium that reduce congestion-triggering histamine release and tame inflammation in the sinuses, per Malaysian researchers.

Set up a humidifier

When you breathe in dry air throughout the night, it can further irritate your nasal passages and make your mucus thicker and harder to clear from your nose and sinuses. But keeping the air in your bedroom moist with a humidifier helps to break up mucus and clear airways, says Weiss. Just be sure to clean it daily to ensure sinus-irritating mold doesn’t grow in the water chamber. One to try: Clorox Ultra Clean Cool Mist Air Humidifier, which has a UV light to help kill mold and bacteria.

Take a shower

If you don’t want to keep a humidifier running all night long, enjoying a hot and steamy shower can have a similar effect. “A hot shower also helps to lower body temperature, and that helps us fall asleep,” adds Weiss.

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Try aromatherapy

Sniffing essential oils like eucalyptus and lavender can help ease congestion. Weiss suggests adding a few drops to your humidifier or incorporating them into your hot shower. Lavender essential oil is especially effective, since it’s proven to speed the rate mucus is cleared from the nasal passages. Plus it helps induce relaxation to improve sleep quality.

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What to do right before bed to sleep better with a stuffy nose

Ready to hit the hay? These quick before-bed tricks help you sleep soundly.

Adjust your pillows

“Sleeping with the head, neck and shoulders a little more elevated and propped up with pillows can help with congestion,” says Weiss. Gravity works in your favor by preventing mucus from building up in the sinuses.

Try a natural sleep-enhancer

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Weiss cautions against using over-the-counter cold and flu medicines that induce drowsiness. “You won’t go through the natural sleep cycle, and you might be knocked out for a few hours and wake up in the middle of the night unable to fall back asleep,” she explains.

Instead, try a natural sleep inducer like melatonin in doses of 3 mg or lower. Not only does the hormone induce sleep, it also reduces inflammation in the nasal passages to make sleeping with a stuffy nose easier, according to research in Immunity, Inflammation and Disease.

Put on a nasal strip

Nasal strips hold open the airways so you can breathe easier while you sleep. Over-the-counter options like Breathe Right Nasal Strips can make a significant difference in your ability to breathe while sleeping, per research in Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology.