How to get enough sleep despite a cold

The most important things in brief

• Anyone who catches a bad cold often gets the well-intentioned advice to get a good night's sleep.
• Of course there is nothing to contradict, only: Sometimes sleeping doesn't go so well.
• If you sleep during the day when you have a cold because you are exhausted, then logically you are not particularly tired at night.
• Read here how you can still get a restful night's sleep.

Anyone who has caught a cold will usually receive the well-intentioned advice free of charge. You should be nice, drink a lot, eat as well as you can - and above all sleep a lot. Everything is known and correct. But because the cold takes strength and the body is busy fighting the invader, i.e. the virus, we often get too little sleep at night. So what to do?

Insufficient sleep does not promote recovery

We are often so exhausted during the day from the fight our body is fighting against the disease that we have to sleep. This allows us to relax when it's light outside, but it keeps us from the all-important night's sleep. In addition, symptoms such as a runny nose often get worse at night - and thus prevent us from sleeping even more.

But there is hope, and it comes in the form of simple tips. On the one hand, you can try some natural sleeping pills that are free of additives: tea, lemon balm capsules, hemp extract, sprays with lavender or Bach flowers, valerian tablets or soothing bath additives. But it is often enough if you follow some of the advice mentioned at the beginning. We will show you what then happens in the body.

Drink a lot and create a good sleeping environment

It is well known that when you have a cold, your body loses water through the secretion of mucus and sweat. If you do not counteract this with sufficient water and tea, the problem often arises in the evening and at night that the cold symptoms such as coughing and dry cough intensify. That doesn't allow for restful sleep.

Moreover, the environment in which you sleep is extremely important - meaning the room conditions. Under no circumstances should you heat the bedroom, as this dries out the air and the respiratory tract further. 18 degrees is ideal. If it's more, you start sweating at night, and that usually wakes you up. A very good idea is also a humidifier, which regulates the humidity of the

If it doesn't work: get up

Tossing and turning in bed doesn't help, it causes stress. If you can't fall asleep at all, get up, dim the lights and read a book. Soothing music can also help you get really tired. Because only those who are really "sleep tired" can fall asleep well and find the necessary rest.

If you wake up because you are sweating and your pajamas and sheets are damp or even wet, you should also get up and take a hot shower. The steam usually helps clear the sinuses, or at least loosen some of the mucus. The warmth also contributes to relaxation, so that you usually sleep better afterwards.