If you are congested (allergies/cold), how does the nasal passages become less congested during sleep?
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Many of the symptoms you feel when you have allergies/cold are caused by your immune system trying to fight off the “invaders.” Congestion and swelling is caused by increased blood flow to the affected area so that more immune cells can reach the area. A runny nose is the immune system telling the nose to try and flush out the invaders.
The immune system follows your body’s circadian rhythm also known as your body’s daily clock. At certain times of day, the immune system is more active so you feel more congestion while at other times, it’s less active so you feel less congested at night.
People with rheumatoid arthritis, where your immune system starts attacking your own joints, will experience more stiffness in the early morning when the immune system is more active.
Why not always be active? Like your body and mind, your immune system also needs rest to recover its fighting force. Stress can disturb your circadian rhythm so that your immune system is constantly active. This gives less time to recover so your immune system will weaken with chronic stress. Chronic stress and disturbed rhythm can also cause your immune system to be overactive, leading to auto-immune diseases or cancer from chronic inflammation.
The congestion occurs because mucus gets deposited in sacks that are situated beneath your nostrils. Once the mucus gets accumulate in the sack, inflammation occurs which presses the nostrils and block the airway. When you fall asleep during such a condition you automatically start consuming oxygen through your mouth aswell so you can Atleast get a good night’s sleep. Otherwise your nostrils still remain blocked, usually worse when you’re laying down
Positioning. You’re not producing any less mucus when going to sleep, but you are lying down and now gravity can pull the mucus out of your nasal passages and into your throat. This is called post nasal drip and is the reason you can sometimes wake up with a scratchy throat even though you aren’t sick.
You can test this out while awake. Next time you’re really congested, try leaning your head back for a few minutes and notice what it feels like. You should feel the pressure in your sinuses slowly decreasing. This doesn’t always work because the congestion isn’t always purely mucus. It can be local inflammation causing that feeling of pressure as well.
You don’t really become ‘less congested’, but more to do with the congestion that you have settling in your body due to gravity.
If you sleep on your Right side, congestion will settle onto that side, which frees up the Left side and nasal passages, maybe giving the feeling of being able to somewhat breathe.
Deep breathing and coughing is how we keep our respiratory system free of congestion through the day. We slow our overall respirations at night and most people are not coughing all through the night, so sleep actually allows congestion to accumulate. That is why we often sound the worst first thing in the morning. Also why we collect sputum samples in the morning.
Source: I am a Registered Nurse.
I guess it’s because while you’re sleeping, by default, your body tries to breathe through the nose. When the brain senses the congestion, it immediately reduces the swelling of the nasal passages.
You can also try to forcefully breathe through your nose while you’re awake and the congestion will lessen after some time. It’s just the reflex action of brain towards the lack of oxygen.
An actual eli5: your head is higher than the rest of your body since it’s on your pillow so your boogers slide down the back of your nose, down your throat and into your belly.
please purchase Netipot and vaporizer, air purifier can’t hurt. Eucalyptus in your shower that’s nice too.
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