6 Effective Tips to Help Prevent Asthma Flare-ups at Night

Asthma is a common respiratory disorder that often makes it hard for people to sleep.  Many people with severe asthma experience symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath usually can worsen at night. In addition to reducing sleep quality, sleep deprivation can also exacerbate asthma symptoms. No need to worry, you can follow some of the ways below in order to sleep well when you have asthma.

Why Do People With Asthma Have Trouble Sleeping At Night?

Some people with asthma may often wake up at night because they experience symptoms that are even more severe than usual. This condition is called nocturnal asthma. The cause of asthma flare-ups at night is usually due to exposure of allergic triggers, air temperature, sleeping position, or the production of certain hormones that follow the body’s biological clock.

Not only that, the symptoms of asthma can appear more often at night, especially if the lung mucus blocks the airways. This condition can trigger the typical cough symptoms of asthma. The phenomenon of sleeplessness and asthma can indeed affect one another. Asthma can cause sleep disturbances and sleep disturbances can exacerbate asthma symptoms.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that can exacerbate inflammation in the bronchi (airway) of the lungs. This worsening inflammation can trigger asthma symptoms. In addition, some other causes of asthma at night are:

• Delayed response to daytime asthma triggers
• A drop in body temperature triggers the tightening of the muscles in the lungs
• Asthma medication only consume once a day which is in the morning
• Acid reflux at night

How To Get A Good Night’s Sleep When Having Asthma?

There are several ways you can get a good night’s sleep when you have asthma. This method can also help you reduce asthma attacks at night.

1. Clean the Bedroom Regularly

It is important to make sure your bedroom is always clean and protected from various allergy triggers, such as dust and mites. You can use a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to catch dust mites and other debris and remove them from your bedroom. Also, don’t forget to wash bed sheets and curtains or carpets in your room regularly. This method is not only effective in helping you sleep better, but it can also prevent asthma flare-ups.

2. Make Sure Your Mattress And Pillows Are Always Clean

Cleaning the mattress and changing the sheets regularly in any part of your room is another way you must do so you don’t get an asthma attack and can sleep well.

Avoid placing dirty items such as bags or shoes inside your room. The dust which sticks to the mattress can trigger asthma. Make it a habit to change your sheets about once every 2-3 weeks. Thus, the condition of your bed will always be clean and you will be able to avoid allergy triggers that exacerbate asthma symptoms at night.

3. Installing a Humidifier

Cold air is drier and riskier for people with severe asthma. By installing an air humidifier, it can help to keep the air moist in your bedroom. Mites and dust are comfortable in dry air. Thus, increasing the humidity by using a humidifier in your bedroom can help prevent the growth of mites and dust. This method is believed to be effective in helping to sleep soundly when suffering from asthma.

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4. Do not Sleep With Pets

Pets can be one of the triggers for allergies that can exacerbate your asthma symptoms. Your pet dander can stick to the carpet or bedding and trigger asthma. Therefore, another way to sleep well when asthma is to keep pets out of the room. This is important so that the bedroom is free from animal hair that falls out or mites and bacteria from your pets.

5. Elevate Your Sleeping Position

Another way to improve the quality of sleep so that it is more restful when you have asthma is to adjust your sleeping position. If you have a cold or sinusitis, lying flat can worsen blockages in your airways. Thus, this can trigger an asthma attack at night.

In addition, if you have a history of gastric acid reflux (GERD), lying flat while sleeping also risks aggravating asthma. The reason is, sleeping by lying down may cause stomach acid to rise back up to the throat faster. Therefore, when sleeping you should place your head with your head on a pillow that is higher than your feet. You can stack two pillows, or sleep using a pillow that is rather hard and thick.

6. Take Asth  ma Medication

In some people, asthma medication must be taken regularly even though they are not feeling the symptoms of an asthma attack. This is because you never know when an asthma attack will come. Stay disciplined in taking medication according to your doctor’s recommendations, that way, you can sleep better even if you have asthma.

By following these recommended tips, you will find it easier to prevent nighttime asthma flare-ups and hopefully can get better sleep at night!