With trial and error and an adaptable attitude, you can sleep when you’re sick.
When you’re sick, sleep is essential.
The key to kicking your cold isn’t taking antibiotics or antivirals.
It’s not healthy food or getting enough vitamins.
It’s not ignoring your illness.
It’s rest: sleep and rest are the key to getting over your flu and cold symptoms.
And often, it’s not easy to do. Coughing and hacking can keep you awake. Sleep cold medicine doesn’t always work well. Too little rest and sleep, and your immune system will be fighting for you with the proverbial “one hand tied behind its back.”
Too much, and it’s going to be similarly disadvantaged. Our bodies are made to get up and move. Lying in bed all day makes you sore. Soreness is demotivating and miserable. Phlegm, too, collects in our lungs, and that leads to pneumonia. Recovery takes a balance of rest and activity.
The keys to sleep at night
You need a strategy when you’re suffering from cold symptoms at night when it’s time to sleep. Your doctor or provider can help you with the basics of the strategy, but it’s up to you to enact it. Only you have an idea of what equipment have in your house. Keep in mind a few of the basic principles.
Kicking a cold takes time. For many people, time is in short supply because they don’t want to be sick. They’ll come to an emergency department, get a few prescriptions for various medications, and then expect to get better.
When confronted with a list…
I’m giving you a list of things you could do to kick a cold. Say there’s no way to do them all or there’s some on the list you couldn’t do. For example, you see that it’s recommended that you take a walk outside. That’s less than appealing because it’s raining heavily. That’s okay. Try to choose at least four of the things on the list to help you get to sleep.
Another thing to do is to try to follow the spirit of the list. Instead of going for a walk or going outside, if you have an exercise bike, ride that. While you won’t be benefitting from the fresh air and sunshine, you will exercise and breathe deeply, which will help in some way.
Use what’s around you for your benefit.
1. Go for a walk or do something outside during the day
There are many reasons why people don’t take this simple step. Sometimes, they feel guilty. They’ve called in to work and think that means they’re obligated to spend every waking moment on the couch.
Going for a walk and getting outdoors is instrumental to getting better. Seeing the sun, feeling it shine on you lets your body know it’s daytime, and later, the night will be there. It resets the circadian rhythm.
Walking lets your lungs fully expand. You’re more prone to coughing up phlegm that’s built up in your lungs. When that junk leaves, it takes your illness away with it.
Don’t overdo it. Don’t push yourself excessively, but a little fresh air and sunshine can do wonders for your mood and your ability to kick your cold.
2. Drink plenty of water
You should be peeing clear. Drinking plenty of water helps you thin the junk in your lungs and get it out.
3. Take some honey
Studies show that, for many people, honey works better for coughs than cough syrup that’s available without a prescription. While it doesn’t prevent colds (that’s best done by hand washing, hygiene, and covering coughs), there is a mild antibacterial effect. Many have found that the key to making honey work is to take it without adding it to hot water. That diminishes its sickness-abating effect.
4. Use a decongestant
These can certainly help. Look for pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine, two of the most common ones. Save your money and buy generic; they work just as well. A decongestant might not be effective. On the other hand, they might work. It’s better to employ them in conjunction with a number of the other strategies.
5. Elevate your head
This can help, though it’s not a foolproof, guaranteed-to-work suggestion. When you’re sick, nasal secretions can drip down the back of your throat.
6. Some good equipment to have when you’re sick
Two of my favorites are neti pots and humidifiers. Neti pots irrigate the mucus out of the sinuses and nasal passages. Make sure to use slightly warmed water with a commercial or homemade salt solution. The water should be boiled first and then allowed to cool. This helps to make sure that there are no microorganisms in it. Tap water isn’t sterile.
Humidifiers also help to liquify nasal secretions, allowing you to easily blow your nose and breathe easier.
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