Just imagine when you are sick, feeling tired, but can't sleep? Conditions like that are bound to frustrate you. Rest is necessary for the body to fight disease. So, it is important to sleep well when you are sick. If you're an adult and can't sleep, try to relieve the symptoms of an illness that makes it difficult for you to sleep, create a relaxing atmosphere for sleep, and choose the right medication.
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Method 1 of 4: Relieve Symptoms at Bedtime
Step 1. Know how to treat a fever
Fever is the body's fight against infection. So, let the fever run as long as it doesn't reach 39°C or more (for adults). If your fever is high enough at bedtime, take steps to make yourself more comfortable.
- If the fever reaches 38.9 °C, you can take ibuprofen, acetaminophen or aspirin. Always follow the dosage indicated on the package and call your doctor immediately if the fever reaches 39.4 °C or more, or lasts more than three days.
- If your fever is low, try wearing light pajamas, sleeping on sheets without a blanket, or sleeping naked if that makes you more comfortable. You can also sleep with wet hair or apply a damp cloth to your forehead or neck, as long as you're not cold.
Step 2. Treat the cough
Cough attacks are very disturbing sleep. Try elevating yourself using several pillows while sleeping or sleeping on your side to prevent fluid from building up in your lungs.
- Try taking a spoonful of honey to coat your throat before going to bed. You can also drink tea mixed with honey before bed to relieve coughing.
- If you have a cough with phlegm, try taking an over-the-counter medicine that thins the phlegm about an hour before bed. These cough drops usually have an "expectorant" label and allow you to expel the irritating phlegm.
- You can also try cough suppressants or a soothing balm like Vicks Vaporub.
Step 3. Relieve body aches at bedtime
It's very difficult to sleep when you're feeling sick, whether it's the flu, an injury, or an infection. Relieves pain can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen about 30 minutes before bed.
- If the pain persists, try using heat. Place the hot bottle on the affected area. If you have a programmable heat pillow, you can safely use it while sleeping.
Step 4. Treat sore throat at bedtime
It is very difficult to fall asleep with a sore throat because the symptoms get worse towards bedtime.
- Before going to bed, drink a hot herbal tea mixed with lemon and honey. You can make herbal teas such as chamomile or raspberry, or simply soak a lemon wedge in hot water and add 1-2 tablespoons of honey. The heat alone can help relieve a sore throat. So, you can use any type of tea, as long as it doesn't contain caffeine.
- Start by taking a pain reliever like ibuprofen about 30 minutes before bed. Then, while you are lying down, spray your throat with a mouthwash such as Chloraseptic or Cepacol to temporarily relieve the pain while you sleep.
- Keep a glass of water near your bed so you can stay hydrated. Drink a few sips of water every time you wake up at night. Hug a stuffed animal or a hot pillow to distract from the pain. Use honey to soothe a sore throat.
Step 5. Relieve nausea and stomach upset
Some symptoms of gastrointestinal gas such as gas, bloating, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea can keep you from sleeping. Take a medicine such as Pepto-Bismol before bed to feel more comfortable.
- To deal with nausea, you can try consuming ginger herbal tea. If you have fresh ginger and lemon on hand, slice the ginger and put it in a cup of boiling water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then add honey and sip the tea slowly before going to bed. Ginger and honey help relieve nausea.
- Sleep hugging a hot pillow if you have one. Otherwise, you can fill the sock with dry corn or rice and tie the ends tightly. Heat the t-shirt in the microwave for a minute. The grain retains heat and functions like a heat cushion.
Step 6. Treat a runny or stuffy nose
If you have a runny or stuffy nose, you will have difficulty breathing and this condition will interfere with sleep. Try one of these remedies before bed:
- Elevate your head by adding a pillow or two. Whether you have a runny or stuffy nose, an elevated head position allows the sinuses to clear fluid during sleep so you can breathe easier.
- Rinse the nasal cavity with a saline solution, for example using a Neti pot or spray, before going to bed. After that, blow your nose until there is no fluid left, take medicine to relieve a runny nose or nasal congestion. Don't forget to put a box of tissues by the bed. Although medication can help reduce a cold, you may still need to blow your nose at night.
- If your nose is stuffy and you're having trouble breathing through your nose, try doing it through your mouth. However, protect the lips with lip balm or petrolatum beforehand.
Method 2 of 4: Prepare for a Good Sleep
Step 1. Avoid taking drugs that make you restless before bed
If Benadryl keeps you awake, be sure to take your last dose for the night a few hours before bedtime. The best course of action is to use a medication that doesn't make you more active, but sometimes there's no alternative. In this case, it is best to expect the reaction to subside by bedtime.
Step 2. Sleep in the right position when the nose is stuffy
When lying down, blood doesn't have to defy gravity to flow into the nose and collect in the blood vessels and tissues there. That's why you feel like you have to sit every few minutes to clear your nose when it's stuffy.
Elevate the body with several pillows while sleeping and let gravity help prevent blockages in the nasal cavity
Step 3. Use a nasal spray before bed
A stuffy nose that blocks breathing is often the reason you can't sleep when you're sick. Use the nasal spray right before bed and if necessary repeat the spray at night to help improve breathing.
- Decongestant nasal sprays reduce swelling of the sinuses and nasal tissues. You can buy it with or without a doctor's prescription. However, do not use it for too long, a maximum of 3 days.
- Salt water-based sprays don't contain compounds that can reduce swelling, but they are effective at thinning mucus and making it easier to expel by blowing your nose. This method can be used as often as possible.
- Nasal strips can be a good alternative if the active ingredients in the nasal spray are keeping you from sleeping.
Step 4. Have a hot drink before bed
Sometimes, illness makes you so uncomfortable that you lose your appetite and drink. However, the body must stay hydrated in order to recover quickly. In addition to helping you sleep, drinking a cold drink before bed can soothe a sore throat, prevent coughing and clear mucus that can interfere with breathing.
- Avoid caffeinated drinks, such as coffee or tea, before bed. Look for your favorite hot drink that is caffeine-free.
- There are herbal teas that are effective in helping the body fight colds in supermarkets, such as teas fortified with vitamin C or Echinacea.
Method 3 of 4: Creating a Comfortable Sleeping Environment
Step 1. Run a humidifier in the bedroom at night
Humidifier is a machine that produces mist or water vapor so as to maintain humidity or humidity of the air. Moisture in the air makes mucus thin and makes it easier for air to flow through your respiratory tract while you sleep.
- Sometimes the sound of a humidifier can make it difficult for you to fall asleep. So, look for a quiet engine. If you are buying a new humidifier, read online reviews to get an idea of whether the machine is noisy or not.
- Try placing a humidifier right outside the bedroom door. That way, the air in the bedroom remains moist while reducing noise.
Step 2. Set the thermostat to medium, but cool enough
Extreme temperatures, whether hot or cold, will make it difficult for you to get a good night's sleep. The brain, which regulates body temperature without you knowing it, tries to adjust its internal temperature when you are awake or asleep. By reducing the outside temperature slightly, you will help your body adjust to sleep. The ideal temperature for sleeping is 20 °C.
Step 3. Make the bedroom dark
Maybe you think reading a book or watching TV will help you sleep, the light that these two activities give you will keep you awake longer. When the eye receives light and processes it, the nervous system stimulates the part of the brain that controls hormones and body temperature. When this happens, your body's chemistry will stay active and cause you to wake up, making it even more difficult to sleep.
- When it's bedtime, turn off all light sources and close all electronic devices that have flashing lights that stimulate the brain.
- Stop using all electronic devices, including cell phones, tablets and laptops, at least 30 minutes before bedtime because the blue light emitted from the screen will keep you awake.
Step 4. Create a quiet and relaxing environment
If other family members listen to music or watch TV, ask them to turn the volume down so you can't hear it from the bedroom. The fewer distractions, the more likely you are to fall asleep.
Method 4 of 4: Choosing the Right Medicine
Step 1. Know how you react to medications
While medication descriptions can give you a general idea of how your body will react to a medication, pay attention to what actually happens to your body after you put something in.
For example, Benadryl can make some people drowsy, but others have trouble falling asleep
Step 2. Avoid cold and flu medications that contain ephedrine or pseudoephedrine
You may have to read the description printed on the packaging to see what's in it, but it's best to avoid this drug if you want a good night's sleep. Although these decongestants make you breathe easier, they are mild stimulants that can keep you awake.
Step 3. Understand the information on the medicine package
Over-the-counter drugs often include information on the packaging to attract consumers instead of informing them about the medication itself. It would be nice if you knew what the real difference was between “non-drowsy” (not causing drowsiness), “nighttime” and “daytime”.
- “Non-drowsy” means the drug does not contain any ingredients that can cause drowsiness. However, this does not mean that the drug is specially formulated to keep you awake or prevent you from feeling sleepy. Don't think that a drug formula without drowsiness won't have any effect on you. For example, many similar formulas contain pseudoephedrine.
- "Nighttime" or "PM" drugs have components that will make you sleepy. Be careful if you want to take other drugs. If "nighttime" medications contain ingredients to treat fever or pain, there's no point in taking other medications to treat those symptoms.
- “Dayday” or “AM” medications may be similar to “non-drowsy” formulas, or they may contain caffeine to increase alertness. Read the description on the packaging carefully to see what you are putting in your body. Don't think that "daytime" drugs only contain formulas that won't make you sleepy. If you take this medication before bedtime, you may stay awake.
Step 4. Be aware of “nighttime” drugs in general
While the “nighttime” medicinal formula can help you fall asleep quickly, the quality of sleep you get will not help the healing and recovery process. In addition, the alcohol contained in these drugs can dehydrate the body during sleep, delaying the healing process.
Some “nighttime” medications can become habitual. Long-term use can interfere with healthy sleep patterns
Tips
- Make sure you get enough rest to allow your body to fight disease. Don't go to bed too late or wake up too early.
- Do not brush your teeth after vomiting because it can damage the teeth.
- Don't fight the urge to vomit. Vomiting is a natural way for the body to expel disease. After vomiting, take a glass of water to clean the mouth.
- If you're vomiting, it's a good idea to take a quick shower before getting back into bed.
