Suggestions for Nightly Nasal Congestion

man with cloggy nose

By Stephen Chandler, MD |26 April 2021|

Here’s the situation: You just laid down for bed, you’ve been battling the sniffles all day and you need some rest, but what’s this? The congestion is getting worse? You my friend, are in for a long night. Here are some suggestions for nighttime nasal congestion.

The Problem

Has this ever happened to you? It’s not all in your head ー at least not metaphorically. Congestion becomes worse at nighttime for a host of reasons, but most of these are related to gravity and its effects on the body. When lying down, venous blood pressure will increase in our chest and head, which will cause the blood vessels in our nasal passageways to become dilated. These engorged passageways create airway resistance. A supine position, relative inactivity during sleep and nasal congestion make it much harder for your body to drain normally produced mucus and secretions.

While a prone sleeping position (facing down) can help to clear out some of the mucus through your nostrils, a supine position (facing up) will cause it to build up, further contributing to nasal congestion. Even without a cold, studies have shown that nasal resistance is increased while lying down. So what’s the solution to all of this?

The Solution

You might be tempted to use nasal sprays that decongest the lining of the nose. While it is true that these sprays do provide a powerful clearing effect, the benefit is at best temporary and at worst could lead to nasal spray use addictive behaviour. The easiest and healthiest solution to rid yourself of nighttime congestion is to rinse your nose and sinuses nightly before bed. Complete Rinse will help to clear your passageways and reduce inflammation by removing irritants and debris from your nasal lining. This procedure can be done daily and is entirely natural with no dependency on medication. 

The benefits of nasal rinsing go far beyond congestion and cold relief! Read our other blogs to learn how you can fight COVID-19 in just five minutes a day. 

Dr. Stephen Chandler is a practicing Otolaryngologist in Montgomery, Alabama and owner of Sandler Scientific, LLC, makers of CompleteRinse®. To schedule a visit with Dr. Chandler call 334-834-7221 Learn more at https://www.jacksonclinicent.org/. Complete Rinse is available on Amazon and at www.completerinse.com.