7 Ways You Can Use To Sleep Better And Recover Faster

At a certain point in your life, you are very familiar with the signs of a cold coming on to you. When the weather gets cold in particular, you know the irritating feeling that shapes up when your nose begins to get blocked and your throat starts feeling sore – few things are as irritating as that.

What makes this even worse is the lack of instant cures for these ailments, such as the common cold or the flu. You constantly feel tired as well, and even doing the most basic tasks like getting out of bed and going for some basking in the sun seem irritable activities.

However, when you drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest, you boost your chances of faster recovery.

The truth though is that it is not easy to try and get some sleep, even on a bear mattress – all because your airways are blocked, and aches can make it difficult to get comfortable.

In addition, when dealing with chills and fever, you are constantly sweating and feeling cold at the same time – a feeling that you wish could disappear forever.

7 Ways You Can Use To Sleep Better And Recover Faster

Here are some steps you can use to reduce your discomfort levels and assist you to sleep better.

If you fall sick, sleeping can be more of a chore than anything else, yet you hardly have the energy to perform basic tasks. Here are seven ways you can use to sleep better and recover faster.

1. Dinner is chicken soup

Dinner is chicken soup

Your mother most likely had this on her list of cures for the times you got sick as a child, and it turns out there is much wisdom in this strategy. The soup itself helps you stay hydrated, while the steam from the soup is among the best methods of clearing up your airways.

However, the benefits do not stop there. There is scientific research that proves the benefits of chicken soup in clearing up symptoms, as it contains some anti-inflammatory effects that can help your body bounce back faster.

Even though scientific research has not conclusively found out how the soup works, they have discovered that canned soups are just as effective – so if you lack the energy to make the soup, you can buy it and experience the benefits.

2. Saline rinse to ease nasal congestion

Stuffy noses are the stuff of nightmares when you are trying to sleep. you can skip the idea of using a nasal spray since it might be addictive as well as having drying effects, as choose to use a simple saline rinse, which is more effective.

You can use two methods – snort warm salt water – instead of using normal table salt (which has anti-caking agents), use natural sea salt; or use a neti pot (a device shaped like a teapot) which you can get at most drugstores, and is easier to use, as it allows you to pour the solution into one nostril and pour out of the other.

3. Calm a cough

Calm the cough

If you cannot stand the taste of saltwater when you gargle it, you can try a decaffeinated black tea that has a tablespoon of honey. The tea has a cough-suppressing compound, theobromine – this compound is even more effective than codeine.

The honey soothes the throat by coating it and reducing the friction within, making it an easier and more effective option than over-the-counter medication.

4. Taking a hot shower

Hot showers are good because they help you to relax. However, it is not just that – the steam gives a very effective method of reducing nasal congestion and helps you breathe easier.

To boost the power, add some drops of eucalyptus essential oil, as this has antiviral aspects and helps ease the pain in the joints as well as break up mucus.

Lavender oil is also a good one since the relaxing scent is seen to promote the easing of the muscles. Another advantage of showering – the body goes through a drop in its temperature after you get out of a warm bath, which increases your chances of sleeping.

5. Avoid stimulant medication

Avoid stimulant medication

Certain medicines have some active ingredients that act as stimulants and make it a difficult task to fall asleep. While they can make some people sleepy, they can have the opposite effects on others and make them hyper.

However, do not rush to take some medication without consulting your doctor first, as they will confirm that the ingredients do not pose harm to your health. However, if you are not sure of the effects they have, it is better to avoid them.

Another thing to remember is that many flu and cold medications tend to contain alcohol, which makes sleep fragmented instead of restful. If medication is necessary, it may be a better option to stick to acetaminophen, as this is guaranteed to reduce headaches, pain, and fever without interfering with sleep.

6. Comfort in your sleeping environment

You need to promote healthy sleep habits regardless of whether you are sick or not by first concentrating on making your bedroom inviting enough to sleep. The first thing is removing any distracting lights by putting curtains or blinds and removing any electronic devices from the bedroom.

Block any distracting noises, and you can use earplugs if you need to, or listen to some calming music.

In addition, consider sleeping with layers of blankets on a bear mattress, considering the fact you will alternate between hot and cold body temperatures.

They will give you greater levels of comfort compared to a single comforter. A final thing would be setting the temperature of the room to 65 degrees (18.3 degrees Celsius).

Even though this may feel cold, cooler air helps you sleep more comfortably compared to hotter air.

7. Use pillows while you sleep

Use pillows while you sleep

Even if you decide to reduce your nasal congestion before you enter the blankets, the irritating congestion in your nose will return within a few hours and force you to wake up.

To minimize this, elevate your head while you sleep, which can help in keeping the air passages open for longer.

Final thoughts

Sleeping while coming down with the flu or a cold is not the easiest task – but it is essential in speeding up recovery. When you practice good sleep hygiene through these steps, you are guaranteed to get better quickly.

About The Author:

Nirdesh SinghNirdesh Singh has 10 years of experience in the IT sector. He decided to start his own development company in 2012 and founded Zedex Info Pvt Ltd. where he is director also. He is also co-founder of fashionbuzzer.com a fashion e-commerce portal in India.

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