When you’re sick, all you want to do is lie down and rest. Yet, for many people, the sleep they so desperately want feels nearly impossible to achieve. A stuffy, congested nose can make it harder to breathe and fall asleep. You may even wake yourself up snoring! A scratchy throat can mean frequently waking up, and chest congestion can give you uncontrollable coughing fits. Aches and pains also make it hard to get comfortable. It isn’t fair!
While it certainly is difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep when you’re sick, you are not without hope. A few tips and tricks are all you need in order to get the sleep you need!
Why You Need Sleep When You’re Sick
Before we go any further, let’s first discuss why sleep is so important when you’re ill. In order to understand why, you should know that healing yourself is one of the main reasons we sleep in the first place. Most benefits of sleep when you’re sick are related to helping your immune system do its job and fight your illness. Sleep gives your body time to repair itself, which you need when you’re sick. While you may be asleep, your body is hard at work!
How to Sleep when You’re Sick
Take a steamy shower
A hot shower is more than just relaxing. The steam from the hot water is a natural, effective way to ease congestion. A few minutes in the shower is all you need to breathe easier. As an added bonus, the drop in body temperature after you leave a hot shower helps encourage sleep.
Create a comfortable sleep environment
More than any other time, you need to turn your bedroom into a slumber oasis. Make your bedroom as sleep-friendly as possible by blocking out any distracting light or noise. Normally, keeping your bedroom cool is also important but with fluctuating body temperatures thanks to a fever, this may be tough to do. Instead, focus on comfortable, breathable sheets and a few thin blankets you can snuggle down into. Layers work better than a big duvet or comforter because you can remove one or two if your fever peaks and you get too hot.
Raise your head
A stuffy noise makes it hard to breathe and even harder to sleep. Keeping your head elevated while you snooze helps keep your nasal passages open. We don’t recommend stacked pillows because this could bother your neck. For most, a wedge pillow is much more comfortable. If you have an adjustable bed base, now is the time to sleep with your torso raised.
Diffuse essential oils
A few drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil have antiviral properties and can also help break up mucus and ease joint pain. Another great choice is Lavender Oil. The soothing scent has been known to promote relaxation for many years. We encourage you to shop our Sleep & Spa Accessories section for more products to use aromatherapy to your advantage.
Order Your Needed Sleep Essentials from City Mattress
When you’re sick, you absolutely must give your body what it needs in order to sleep well. But what if you don’t have these sleep essentials? Don’t worry! City Mattress makes it easy to get what you need to rest, without ever leaving your home. Whether you have Covid or another illness, you don’t want to shop in the store; we appreciate and understand that. Instead, you can either shop online or order your items over the phone. Whichever you are more comfortable with, we will make happen for you! Simple find your nearest store and give our team of Sleep Experts a call. We’ll help you find and order exactly what you’re looking for, from a fluffy new pillow to a new mattress or anything else.
Sleeping when you’re sick is essential for your recovery. It helps to boost your immune system, so you can fight off your illness quickly and effectively. Your body knows what it needs, so don’t worry if you find yourself sleeping a lot when you’re sick. This is good for you!