Cold, Flu, & Cough Health Center

Sleep Better When You’re Sick

For Better Sleep, Choose Cold Drugs Wisely continued...

"The effects are mostly localized, so you're less likely to get that jittery feeling," he says. If you find you are still sensitive to the effects, he recommends a saline nasal spray, which is purified salt water.

"This will have no negative impact on your ability to sleep, and it can help flush out and irrigate your nose and make breathing somewhat easier -- and that means you'll sleep better," he says.

Sleep expert Michael Thorpy, MD, also recommends localized nasal sprays, along with external nasal strips designed to keep breathing passages open from the outside.

"If you put one of these strips on the bridge of your nose before bedtime you may find you get a better night's rest, not only because you are less stuffy and more comfortable, but also because you will be breathing better so your sleep will be more restful," says Thorpy, director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center and professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. 

What about those nighttime liquid cold medicines that promise you'll sleep like a baby? Breus doesn't recommend them, mostly because of their alcohol content.

"Alcohol can cause you to relax and fall asleep faster, but it's also been shown to interfere with deep sleep, which is what you need when you have a cold," he says. Moreover, he reminds us that alcohol also causes dehydration, which in turn can make cold symptoms feel worse.

For body aches and pains, a headache, or a fever, all the experts told WebMD that acetaminophen tablets are the best and safest remedy to use at bedtime. Keep in mind that many multi-symptom medicines may already contain acetaminophen, so be sure to check the label.

Sleep Better in a Better Environment

Although a cold or flu can leave you feeling so worn out it seems you could fall asleep standing up, experts say don't overlook the need for a comfy and peaceful sleeping environment while you are ill. Sleep expert Susan Zafarlotfi, PhD, says everything from your pillow and blankets to the temperature of the room can play an important role in how well you sleep when you have a cold.

"When you don't feel well, it's often the little things that seem more irritating and annoying and can keep you from getting the rest you need," says Zafarlotfi, clinical director of the Institute for Sleep-Wake Disorders, and the Breath and Lung Institute, at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.

Her recommendation: Keep the room cool and dark and the covers light, all of which may reduce the number of night awakenings; use a body pillow to help your body be more comfortable; and elevate your head to ease sinus pressure and make breathing less cumbersome.