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For many, that means disrupted sleep, itchy eyes, and endless sneezing."

What is hay fever and how does it affect sleep?

A woman with hay fever wipes stuffy nose in bed

“Histamine levels naturally peak at night, making symptoms worse just when we’re trying to sleep.

Pollen also clings to clothes, hair, and bedding, creating an invisible storm of irritation.”

5 tips on how to sleep with hay fever

1.

A woman washes pollen out of her long hair in the shower to prevent hay fever from ruining her sleep.

Switch to evening showers

Enjoy having a refreshing morning shower to kick-start your day?

Dr Mercer suggests you you may want to switch to a relaxing shower to end your day instead.

“Silk pillowcases can help prevent allergens like dust mites from accumulating,” says Dr Mercer.

Woman sleeping on a blue silk pillowcase

“They are less likely to attract and hold onto allergens than cotton.”

You should also consider giving your pillows and pillow cases a wash if it’s been a while.

However, you may also be letting in grass pollen if you don’t time it right.

A woman pours a green tea into a turquoise cup

“Open windows let pollen straight in,” Mercer warns.

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A smiling man puts a stick of chewing gum in his mouth.

Someone sealing base of window frame

Man sneezing at his desk

A woman with dark brown hair lies on her side staring at the back of a white alarm clock that shows the time as 2.30am

Woman sleeping on a white bed

Young woman is wide awake at night and wants to fall back to sleep fast

A sleep week badge in the corner of a picture that depicts a woman smiling as she is getting more sleep.

A woman in yellow pyjamas dancing as she wakes up in naturally light room

A woman with dark hair lies in bed yawning because she is so tired and ready to sleep

A man places a sleep apnea CPAP machine mask on his face, a Tom�s Guide Sleep Week 2025 graphic (right)

A woman wearing a pink eye mask tries mouth taping to cure her sleep apnea.

A woman is sat on the end of her bed with her head in her hands as she can�t sleep because of nighttime anxiety

A woman lies in bed with her hands covering her face, looking upset due to sleep deprivation. A Tom�s Guide Sleep Week 2025 graphic, bottom left

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