The Sleep Council Offers Useful tips

Published on : Wednesday, May 7, 2014

the-sleep-councilAs the UK’s estimated 21 million asthma and allergy sufferers brace themselves for the onslaught of the hayfever season, The Sleep Council offers some timely tips on beating the ‘miseries of May.’

 

Traditionally the middle of the month is when the pollen count rises and that, on top of the dreaded house dust mite (favourite location: your bed), is at the root of most asthma and hayfever suffering. Symptoms can include sneezing, watery eyes, a runny or itchy nose and also itchy skin.

 

Given the average person sheds a pound of skin (454 grams) a year – much of it into our beds – and that the average adult loses around half a pint (285 ml) of moisture while sleeping each night, it’s easy to understand why the bed is a favourite haunt of the dust mite. All that moisture, warmth and food make mattresses, especially old ones, a great breeding ground.

 
According to The Sleep Council, while allergy covers can help, they are next to worthless on an old mattress or pillows already infested with house dust mites.  “If you have a problem with an old mattress, don’t cover it up, chuck it out,” says spokeswoman Lisa Artis.

 

It’s especially important to think about changing your old bed or mattress if it is seven years old or more. The Sleep Council says even a mattress that looks OK may no longer be offering the levels of comfort or support that it should. And that regular mattress replacement is vital to reduce the prevalence of the house dust mites linked with many allergic health problems.

 

For mattresses that are still reasonably new and performing well, airing the bed each morning and regularly cleaning mattresses, pillows and blankets will help to eliminate the conditions under which house dust mites thrive.

 
It is also vitally important to ensure the bedroom is well ventilated: in an age of central heating and double glazing, they rarely are, but a good cool breeze through the room at night will help combat the problem as well as aid more restful sleep.

 

For those worried that open windows will allow in airborne pollen, it’s worth bearing in mind that the allergy created by the house dust mite is far worse than any allergy created by pollen.  Asthma kills people, hay fever doesn’t, so ventilation is very, very important.

 

 

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