How to sleep when you have a cold - 7 tips to help

There are a number of things you can do to help with this though, which retailer And So To Bed have put together with the help of psychologist and neuroscientist Dr Lindsay Browning.

She said: “Congestion caused by either a virus or allergies can greatly affect the quality of our sleep, which in turn affects our physical and mental health.

“Our immune system is boosted overnight meaning it is even more important to get a good night’s sleep when you are poorly. If you don’t get enough sleep you are likely to take longer to fight off the virus.

A lack of rest can lead to symptoms not improving

“Cold symptoms are usually worse at night – when laying down, the mucus cannot drain in the same way it would when gravity is helping, leading to disturbed breathing or a cough caused by post-nasal drip."

7 tips to help you sleep better when you have a cold

Try a facial steam before bed

Dr Browning said: "Steam can help loosen the mucus in your nasal passages, improving congestion. The easiest way to do this is to fill your sink with warm water.

"Place a towel over your head, to trap the vapour and lean over the sink. As the steam builds, inhale deeply. Take care not to scald your face on the water or steam."

Take a hot shower

Similarly to facial steam, taking a hot shower should also help to open up your nasal passage.

Dr Browning also advises taking this shower just before you go to bed as you cool down once you get out so the "drop in temperature helps you to feel sleepy".

Keep your head elevated

This tip can help drain mucus and relieve sinus pressure if you lay on your back with an extra pillow to prop yourself up.

Keep your bedroom dark and cool

Dr Browning explains that you might "feel more sensitive to fluctuations in light or temperature" when you're ill, so keeping your bedroom cool, using blackout curtains and wearing an eye mask may help.

READ MORE: 7 hours of sleep per night is optimal for middle to older age, study says

Purify the air

You could consider using an air purifier to help remove pollen and dust particles in the air.

Also, drying laundered bedding indoors can minimise the risk of pollen sticking to it which can aggravate allergies such as hayfever.

Avoid excessive amounts of caffeine and alcohol

Caffeine and alcohol can "disrupt your sleep and lower your sleep quality" so they should be avoided in the early afternoon and early evening.

Try not to stress

Dr Browning said: "Not being able to sleep, especially when you’re ill, can be really frustrating. However, it is important that you try to remain calm and try not to stress too much as this can actually make falling asleep even harder. "

Trying to force sleep won't help, so it might actually be better to listen to some music or read for a little while to try and relax.