Are your hayfever symptoms keeping you up at night?

Expert advice from Boots Pharmacist Tom Kallis to help you manage your hayfever symptoms at night.

Keep the windows shut at night and first thing in the morning. Feeling hot? Pop your pillow case in the freezer before bedtime for a temporary cooling effect
Wear sunglasses after sun down. Not because you’re a wannabe celeb but to help protect your eyes from pollen
Hang laundry inside - even when the sun is shining - because you don’t want pollen-infused bedding
Shower before you go to bed to help wash any stray pollen from your hair and skin which could aggravate your symptoms overnight
Teeth cleaned, face washed and moisturised? Don’t forget a final smear of petroleum jelly under your nose which may help trap pollen

And the next day?

Shower again! Showering in the morning helps to stimulate the circulatory system and ‘shock’ your body into a more awake state if you’ve lost out on shut-eye overnight
Think twice before reaching for a coffee or chocolate based pick-me-up – both contain high levels of vasoactive amines, like histamine which can cause some sensitive individuals to suffer ‘allergy-like’ symptoms
Lose the booze – Alcoholic drinks, such as wine and beer and cider can make it hard to sleep well anyway and these also contain histamine and other vasoactive amines.
Chill two teaspoons in the fridge overnight then cup them over your eyes for 5 minutes to help combat any puffiness caused by lack of sleep
Stay hydrated – to help replace lost fluids and help you feel more energised

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