Hey Mamas,
So, I have a head cold and I am livin' on sudafed and tylenol bc I am pregs. So in the morning I was pretty bad, I even made a doctor's appt, which I ended up cancelling bc during the afternoon I was somewhat better. But now as it is getting dark, I am super crazy stuffy. It was the same last night, super stuffy at night. Does anyone understand this phenomenon?? Is it just me or do you get more stuffy at night and why??
Have you been lying down at all? If you have been that's probably why. Everything is gravity based and the snot needs to drain and since when you lay down you aren't letting things drain, it gets backed up.
If you haven't been laying down. ... NO idea. Good luck with that.
I'm with MegandOllie-- lying down makes it worse. Other than that, have you maybe cut back on hydration as the day has worn on? I know I often don't have much to drink once dinner is done, or even before. I tend to drink more during the early afternoon and then stop. Dehydration is often mistaken for hunger, and eating can keep you from hydrating properly. Try drinking several ounces of water a few times after 7 pm and see if that helps?
For evening stuffiness before you've gone to bed, I think you stuff up because blowing your nose all day has made the tissue on the inside of your nose swell.
Call your doc- maybe there's something else that can help better. Could you have a sinus infection?
Hope you feel better soon!! :)
Here's what I found doing a google search: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2008031415431...
I'm pregnant too and an allergy sufferer, and it is often worse for me at night also - especially when it rains, which is a bit bizarre. In any case, have you tried using a humidifier? It definitely helps me and might help you with your cold: http://www.ehow.com/how_###-###-####_use-humidifier-treat...
Hi J.,
I did too when I was pregnant. The only thing that helped was the nasal strips that you stick on top of your nose. They were brilliant! Best thing besides that they worked is that it is drug free.
W.
Best advice my doctor gave me when I was pregnant with a cold: drink a glass of water every hour on the hour. Watch the clock. Also, keep a bottle of water by the bed so when you wake in the night, drink some more. Yes, you will make many trips to the bathroom, but it flushed out my cold and I felt so much better, too.
When they say to drink plenty of fluids, why didn't anyone ever tell me exactly how much? I have been drinking lots of water with colds ever since and I go through colds so much quicker!
Sleeping propped up in a recliner might also help.
Hope you feel better soon!
It has something to do with the increased blood flow due to pregnancy. My doctor called it the "pregnant nose". I kept a sinus infection for the first several months of my first pregnancy. Miserable.
I wonder if it's the same reason if you are sick, you feel worse at night. I looked it up once, and there is a hormone change at night. During the day, whatever the hormone is, it makes you feel less pain and deal with the illness better. At night, the hormone changes and you feel sicker and more in pain. I wonder if those who get stuffier at night have some sort of allergy and so it's the same concept and it gets worse at night? I don't know. i don't get stuffy at night.
I'm so tired. I apparently didn't even read your question before posting my answer! I just read it - anyway, that's why your cold is worse during the night than in the day. It's a hormone change. Look it up, it's interesting!
Make sure you aren't sleeping with the ceiling fan on. It will make it worse.
I am not sure about the night time thing, but just wanted to chime in with a suggestion, if you haven't tried it....neti pots work wonders. It sounds really weird but it was the best thing to help when I was pregnant. It only lasts 2 maybe 3 hours, but it is simple and easy to do again when it wears off. Only thing is you can't do it less than an hour before bed, I believe.
Someone has already mentioned ceiling fans, they spread mold spores and every human being alive is allergic to mold spores (or so said my favorite doctor). If you can't live without them, like me, make sure you clean the blades really well, really often.
Whether I have a cold or allergies - I get more stuffy in the evening time too... it's partly because you are less active at night, which aids in circulation of ALL fluids in your body as well as due to the nature of what happens in the evening (sleep) you notice the stuffiness more AND you are mostly stationary which allows the fluid to pool in your sinuses.
