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

Question

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

In: 199

Answer 1

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.