Why Does My Nose Get Stuffy at Night?

Ah ... bedtime. Time to do away with the cares of the day and get some much-needed shut-eye. But your nose has other plans. Hello, congestion, runniness and stuffiness.

Why does your nose get stuffy at night? And what can you do to get some sweet relief?

Family medicine physician Josue Limage, MD, offers advice.

What causes a stuffy nose at night?

Even if you don’t feel congested during the day, your nose can get blocked at night for a few reasons.

“It’s pretty common for people to feel more congested or stuffed up at night,” Dr. Limage acknowledges. “It’s often because of allergens in your home or the way your body reacts when lying down.”

Let’s sniff out the reasons you might feel clogged up after the sun goes down.

Allergens

During the day, you’re exposed to all kinds of allergens, like pollen, ragweed and grass. The onslaught doesn’t stop when you come home at night.

“Your home has dust, pet dander, mold and other particles in the air that can trigger allergies to be worse at night,” Dr. Limage points out. “And that’s in addition to any allergens you bring in from outside that stick in your hair or on your skin and keep irritating you at night.”

All those allergens can rile up your immune system, triggering more mucus that causes congestion.

Acid reflux

It might not be intuitive, but what’s going on in your belly can affect your sinuses. Acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can make your nose stuffy at night.

“As you lie down, your stomach contents and stomach acid can travel up your esophagus,” Dr. Limage explains. “That’s what causes symptoms of acid reflux, like heartburn and indigestion.”

That acid can also irritate your throat and sinuses, triggering inflammation, mucus and, yes, congestion.

Gravity

You might not want to think about it, but you swallow a lot of mucus during the day. And that’s a good thing.

Your body makes mucus (or phlegm, if you prefer) to trap dirt, germs and other particles that can get you sick. When you swallow it, it helps clear that gunk out of your nasal passages.

But when you lie down at night, your body can’t drain mucus as effectively. You don’t have gravity working on your side to help it slide down your throat. Instead, that mucus pools in your sinuses and gives you that stuffed-up feeling.

Inflammation

Having a cold or another viral bug can lead to temporary inflammation in your sinuses. Conditions like nasal polyps or a deviated septum can cause stuffiness, too, as well as chronic sinusitis (long-lasting inflammation in your sinuses).

In both cases, extra mucus fills up your nasal passages. That means more stuffiness at night, and throughout the day, too.

“People with sinus inflammation often feel worse lying down because the mucus can’t drain,” Dr. Limage reports.

Treatment for nighttime congestion

You deserve a good night’s rest. Your health and well-being depend on it. But when your nose is stuffed up at night, sleep can be hard to come by.

Dr. Limage shares these tips:

• Keep pets out of your bedroom to lessen the pet hair and dander you breathe in at night.
• Change your sheets at least once a week to clear away allergens and germs that can cause congestion.
• Shower before bed to wash away the outdoor allergens on your body. Change your clothes, too.
• Try a neti pot or saline nasal spray to loosen up mucus and get it flowing.
• Use a humidifier in your room to ease dryness that can worsen congestion.
• Stay hydrated to thin mucus and support drainage.
• Sleep with your head and shoulders elevated. If you’re a side-sleeper, try sleeping on your left side. Sleeping on your right side can allow stomach acid to travel more easily.
• Try over-the-counter medications, like antihistamines or nasal sprays, for allergy symptom relief.
• Relieve acid reflux by avoiding eating at night and using OTC antacids as needed.
• Consider nighttime cold and cough medicines, if OK’d by a healthcare provider.

If those steps don’t do the trick, talk with a healthcare provider. If reflux is contributing to your congestion, they may prescribe medications that can help. And they can check to see if conditions like polyps or a deviated septum are causing your nighttime stuffiness.