How to sleep with a blocked nose (and other stealers of sleep)

When Joni Mitchell sang ‘you don’t know what you got till it’s gone’, she was probably talking about sleep. And it’s true. We can sometimes take a good night’s rest for granted until sleep seems impossible to grasp.

Whether you’re wondering how to sleep with a blocked nose, suffering from PMS or recovering from an injury, there’s a lot in your way. But as the home of carefree comfort, Koala wants to do whatever we can to help you get better sleep. So let’s get started.

Get better sleep, even when you’re sick

Sleep is a lot harder to get when you’re not feeling 100%, and funnily enough, that’s when you most need it.

With issues that can range from colds and teeth grinding to tummy aches and menopause, there’s plenty standing in the way of you and your eight hours. Throw in a broken bone or an episode of sleep paralysis and you’ve got yourself all the makings of a bad night under the sheets.

While we don’t have the cure for whatever ails you, we do have a few grains of wisdom that could help you get some sweet, sweet relief. By paying mind to the following sleep hygiene measures, you might just get that quality of rest you’ve been yearning for.

👍🏼 Exercise daily. Are you in the gym pumping hard and upping your fitness game to a whole other level? Yeah, neither are we. But we do need to be moving each day if we wanna improve the quality of our sleep. Countless studies have shown that getting exercise not only helps with sleep quality but also duration. Sign us up.

👍🏼 Limit caffeine and alcohol intake. Caffeine and alcohol are two of the main offenders when it comes to stealing the ZZZs. And although it might seem like they help wake you up or get you to sleep, they’re probably doing the opposite. Be mindful of your intake and see if it helps you get better rest.

👍🏼 Wind down. The lead-up to bedtime should be all about zenning out. Get rid of the screens, listen to relaxing music, read a book or meditate. The calmer you are getting into bed, the easier it might be to deal with whatever ends up keeping you up.

👍🏼 Avoid eating too close to bedtime. As much as we love to watch MAFS and eat a sleeve of Mint Slices before bed, it’s probably not doing our sleep any favours. Try to avoid eating too close to bedtime, or opt for snacks that are nutrient-dense and low energy. (And psst — it could help you avoid farting all night too).

The common sleep stealers

Sleep is a tricky little bugger to get right. And it’s made even trickier when you’re dealing with a sleep-thief like illness or injury. These are some common ailments that could be messing with your rest, and this is what you can do to reclaim it.

Colds and blocked noses

Wondering how to sleep with a blocked nose? Join the club. If you’ve got a cold or hay fever, sleep is the worst. There’s the constant whistling, stuffiness and dry mouth, and that’s before you’ve even settled in for the night-long slumber.

Best thing you can do is elevate your head with an extra pillow and inhale a little steam from a hot shower before bed to open up the airways. Deep breath in and ahhhhh.

Pericarditis, chest and respiratory conditions

Issues with your chest and heart can be uncomfortable, and the worry alone can wreak havoc with your sleep. Learning how to sleep with pericarditis and similar conditions means moving around until you find a comfy position and using extra pillows to prop yourself up.

Stomach ulcers and abdominal pain

Troubles with your tum can make it very hard to sleep — we’ve all been there. Whether it’s ulcers, gas, bloating, diverticulitis or just good-old food intolerances, there are plenty of players to blame. Aside from other medical advice, lying on your side is usually how to sleep with a stomach ulcer best.

Arthritis, frozen shoulder and broken bones

Our poor bodies go through a lot every day. And when we lie down to sleep at night, all our ailments rise to the surface.

Issues like arthritis, frozen shoulders and even broken bones make for a painful and uncomfortable sleep. For some, learning how to sleep with a frozen shoulder may be as simple as propping another pillow under their upper arms as they lay on their backs. But for others, it may require pain medication.

Teeth grinding and snoring

‘Bruxism’, otherwise known as grinding teeth, is a noisy ailment that can keep you and your neighbours up at night.

The best place to go if you wanna learn more about the late-night grind is your dentist. They can assess the problem and maybe even fit you for a mouthguard. Anyone up for a Mighty Ducks marathon? No? Just us? We’ll take it.

But are you sleeping with a snorer? In that case, it would be best to have them checked for sleep apnea, just to be safe.

Menopause, periods and UTIs

Sleep and menopause — name a more annoying duo. And when you throw other things into the mix like periods, PMS and wondering how to sleep with UTI discomfort, you can see why women suffer at bedtime.

The best fix is to opt for GP-recommended sleep aids like melatonin or general pain relief. If you’re anything like us, you’ll wanna make sure these aids are given the best chance to kick into gear. So go ahead: get cool, calm and cosy, settle in with a cuppa, and let the night take you where it will.

PSA: While we’re experts at all things bedroom, the Koala team are certainly not healthcare professionals. Always speak to your GP or healthcare provider if you’re experiencing any concerning symptoms or if you’re having sleep issues.

Koala knows sleep (fur real)

Given they don’t give medical degrees to animals, Koala can’t fix your UTI or help you answer the question ‘why does my nose get blocked when I sleep?’. But we reckon we know a bit about getting a decent rest.

The most important thing is having the perfect place to lie down. With the best mattress strapped firmly beneath you, you’ll have a better chance of getting the comfort and support you need — the winning combo for recovery. If you’re ready to sleep like a clear-nosed baby joey, check out our mattress quiz to get to the bottom of your bedtime bothers.

And for those of us sleeping with a tosser — a bedtime tosser, that is — there’s light at the end of the tunnel (and it’s not a divorce). Short of kicking them out of bed, the best thing you can do is invest in the right mattress, specifically one that stops you from moving every time they do.

Koala’s famous Zero Disturbance® Tech will keep you unbothered while your partner thrashes around like the late, great Steve Irwin wrestling a croc. Heck, this baby has probably saved more marriages than Dr Phil.

Wanna get the most mileage out of your comfy new Koala bed? Come up with a solid sleep routine that you actually stick to every night, and you’ll nod off before the first sheep even gets a chance to bleat.

Say nigh-night with Koala

With some tricks up your sleeve on how to sleep with a blocked nose and with the right mattress now ready to boot, you’re onto a winner. And with our 120-night, risk-free trial — where you can test any of our products and send them back for a full product refund if you’re not fully satisfied — what’s not to love?

The icing on the cake is that we don’t just make mattresses. We make a whole bunch of bed-stuff too that can not only get you sleeping like a baby but also help you look damn good while you’re doin’ it.

So, go on. You deserve it. Pop on the kettle, ready the tea pot and take a gander at our range.