If you are congested (allergies/cold), how does the nasal passages become less congested during sleep?
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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.
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