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The culprit: those previously mentioned cold symptoms.

I’m typically a solid sleeper.

A woman with dark hair sits up in bed blowing her nose because she has a cold

But this cold wouldn’t stop.

Luckily, as a sleep writer I’m more than familiar withsleephacks for colds.

From ice cubes to nose strips, here are the ones I found actually worked.

A woman in a thick grey cardigan cuddles a red hot water bottle and a white mug of hot tea

Why is it hard to sleep with a cold?

Sleeping with a cold can feel impossible.

Both of them had their benefits, but the same big drawback.

woman resting her head on a big white pillow in bed and sleeping peacefully

It did soothe my throat, easing my cough before I climbed into bed.

I also tried sucking on ice cubes, which theNHSrecommends for painful throats.

Again, I felt relief quickly.

A woman applying a white nasal strip in the mirror

And that was the main issue with this method.

If I woke up in the night coughing, neither method felt like a convenient solution.

I dutifully stacked my pillows and tried to drift off in aback sleeping position.

Breathe Right Nasal Strips:$19.99 at Amazon

This dried my throat out further, exacerbating the cough.

I switched to my side, which was better for my throat but much worse for my neck.

While I imagine some sleepers might benefit from a raised head, for me, it was just uncomfortable.

A woman rests her toes on the edge of the bathtub while being surrounded by candles

The nasal strips gently opened up my airways, reducing congestion and allowing me to breathe through my nose.

The biggest drawback was taking the strip off the next morning.

To ensure the strips don’t come loose in the night, some strong glue is needed.

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

But that does mean you might lose a tiny bit of skin getting the thing off the next morning.

These sprays can often be purchased over the counter, while some are given out on prescription.

Nasal rinses are used to, essentially, flush out the nostrils.

A woman with hay fever wipes stuffy nose in bed

Used correctly, a nasal rinse can effectively scrub the mucus that’s blocking the nasal passages.

Why does a cold get worse at night?

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

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

A woman sleeping on her side peacefully with the curtains open slightly letting some light in

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

The image shows a sleep deprived woman lying in bed and holding her hands over her eyes

A woman with curly hair napping on a yellow sofa with a long haired labrador listening to binaural beats

A chocolate Easter egg in pink tin foil next to image of blonde woman in purple star patterned pyjamas struggling to sleep in bed with white sheets

Woman lying down on the bed and smiling feeling comfortable

A woman lying on her side sleeping with a handdrawn thought bubble over her head to show she�s thinking

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Apple iPhone 16 held in the hand.