Allergies can throw your sleep schedule for a loop, preventing you from getting the quality rest you need to feel recharged and energized the following day. The lack of sleep that can stem from allergic symptoms is absolutely no fun and gets old rather quickly. It can leave you feeling drowsy and irritable the next day, lacking the energy to tackle your day’s to-do list. (Disclaimer: This article contains spons0red content, meaning we may receive compensation from the products or services mentioned.)
This problem is more than an inconvenience—chronic sleep disruption stemming from allergies can have long-term health consequences. But thankfully, there’s good news: allergy immunotherapy can be a viable long-term solution to help women like you regain control over their sleep and quality of life. Here’s what you need to know.
The Connection Between Allergies and Sleep
Allergies can take a toll on your sleep in multiple ways. Nasal congestion, one of the most common symptoms, can affect your ability to breathe comfortably. The discomfort or inability to breathe through your nose may cause you to breathe through your mouth, which can lead to snoring or dry mouth.
If that weren’t enough, sneezing, coughing, and itchy eyes might wake you up throughout the night, wrenching you from sleep due to the discomfort of it all. For some women, these conditions can even contribute to sleep apnea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.
The Impact on Women’s Health
Research shows that women need more sleep than men. Fluctuating hormones, higher rates of depression and anxiety, and sleep disorders—all contribute to the higher sleep quota women typically need to fulfill to feel rested.
So, when a woman doesn’t get enough sleep or gets poor quality sleep, the effects can be profound. Hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause can amplify both allergy symptoms and sleep disturbances, further exacerbating the problem.
The longer the lack of sleep goes on, the bigger the problems become. Chronic sleep deprivation can worsen various conditions, including migraines, anxiety, and depression, all of which are more prevalent among women.
This deprivation spirals further, compounding into other issues, such as reduced focus, productivity, and emotional resilience—all qualities that are essential in managing the demands of daily life. All that to say, a lack of sleep has a huge impact on women’s health.
Common Triggers That Can Ruin a Good Night’s Sleep
If you suffer from allergies, you’re probably well aware of the triggers that cause flare-ups. For some, many of these common allergies are found right where you sleep.
Dust mites, which thrive in bedding, pillows, and mattresses, are a major culprit. Pet dander, mold, and pollen that cling to clothes or hair can also accumulate in the bedroom. Poor air circulation or a lack of regular cleaning can contribute to the problem, too, creating an atmosphere that perpetuates allergy symptoms.
Other factors that lie beyond your control, such as your hormonal cycles, can also contribute to poor sleep, compounding your allergy symptoms. During pregnancy, for example, increased blood flow and hormone levels can lead to nasal congestion and an exaggerated immune response. Menopause can bring about a similar story, escorting changes in immunity that exacerbate sensitivities to allergies.
Traditional Allergy Management and Its Limitations
When battling allergy symptoms, your first thought might be to reach for an over-the-counter (OTC) medication to keep them in check. While these can provide short-term relief, they have their limitations:
- Antihistamines: These are great for temporarily reducing symptoms of allergies, such as sneezing and itching, but can cause drowsiness, which can get in the way of daytime activities. Even non-drowsy options have limitations, such as losing effectiveness with long-term use.
- Nasal sprays: These can reduce congestion but might cause rebound congestion if you overuse them.
- Lifestyle changes: Frequent cleaning, using air purifiers, and washing bedding in hot water can help reduce exposure to allergens, but it doesn’t actually address the allergy. So, even if your bedroom is nice and clean, you may still battle the same issues.
How Immunotherapy Can Improve Sleep
Allergy immunotherapy, often shortened to AIT, is a powerful treatment that works toward achieving an allergen-specific tolerance to help you find relief from not-so-nice allergy symptoms. It focuses on the root cause of your allergies, not just your symptoms.
AIT works to achieve that tolerance by gradually exposing your immune system to small, incrementally increasing amounts of the allergen. This exposure gives your body the chance to build a tolerance, thus reducing or possibly even eliminating allergic reactions over time.
Benefits for Sleep Quality
Immunotherapy can go a long way in improving your overall quality of sleep. Over time, it works to reduce those pesky allergy symptoms, such as sneezing, coughing, scratchy throat, runny nose, itchy eyes, and whatever else you might experience. As your symptoms gradually ebb, you may find that you get better sleep.
After all, not having to deal with sneezing fits that wrench you from sleep or a scratchy throat that prevents you from getting comfortable enough to slip into slumber makes a world of difference. Of course, results vary based on your body and how it responds to treatment, but in the long run, immunotherapy can be a huge help.
It can:
- Alleviate nighttime congestion, which can help you breathe easier
- Reduce nighttime awakenings, thanks to fewer coughing or sneezing episodes
- Improve overall health by helping you get more restful sleep, which translates to improved mental clarity, mood, and immune function
Personalized to Your Needs
The beauty of allergy immunotherapy lies, in part, in the fact that every treatment is customized to the individual. Your treatment is specific to your unique needs, so it might look completely different from the next person’s.
Choose between allergy shots and allergy drops based on what works best for your needs and schedule. If you don’t have time to visit your allergist for every treatment, opt for the convenience of at-home allergy drop treatments. Or, if you don’t mind injections and have time for a few extra doctor’s appointments, go with allergy shots.
Regardless of which you choose, the treatment will be custom fit to your needs. The dose and frequency will reflect what your body needs to work toward achieving an allergen-specific tolerance.
Allergy Immunotherapy: How It Can Help You Get Better Sleep
Allergies are no fun, especially when they get in the way of your sleep. They can take a toll on sleep and overall well-being, especially for women who already face unique challenges related to hormonal changes and daily responsibilities. While you could opt for OTC medications, these will only work for so long. If you want something that offers long-term relief, allergy immunotherapy might be what you’re looking for.
Don’t settle for short-term fixes that only temporarily address your allergy-related sleep disruptions. You deserve good-quality sleep. Chat with your allergist to explore whether immunotherapy is the right option for you. With the right treatment plan, you can kick restless nights goodbye and welcome a healthier, more energized you.
