Over half (52%) of us struggle to sleep at night when we have a cold or flu because we feel our symptoms get worse; according to a new survey. In fact, when ill, the average person struggles to get even five hours sleep a night, meaning that sick Brits could be prolonging their illness due to a lack of essential rest.


And forget the blocked-up congested nose, the constant coughing and sneezing, or even the splitting headache and feeling of fatigue. For one in five UK adults, the most irritating part of suffering from colds and flu is the sleepless nights. A third say they feel frustrated as a result, whilst one in ten said the resulting tiredness makes them short tempered.

The new survey of 5,000 people by Covonia*, the cough cold and flu remedy range with “clout”, found that some of us opt for ill-advised tactics; including staying up later (25%) and increasing alcohol intake (13%) to help fall asleep. For although alcohol may induce sleep quicker it also prohibits deep, quality sleep which the body needs when fighting cold and flu.

A fifth of us sleep in a separate bedroom from our partners, when we have a cold or flu, to ensure we get some rest and to prevent keeping them awake. However, an unscrupulous 9% admit that when they can’t sleep they deliberately keep their partner awake by talking!

GP Dr Rob Hicks explains: “Good quality sleep is crucial when recovering from a cold or flu as it helps keep the immune system in peak condition and gives the body a chance to recover. But this is often difficult as symptoms can be more noticeable at night - it is usually the coughs and congestion that keep people awake so consider using a suitable and trusted remedy such as Covonia to reduce symptoms and help you sleep better.”

Follow these top tips from Dr Hicks on how to get a good night’s sleep when feeling under the weather:

1. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and have a hot drink before bedtime like herbal tea or honey and warm water. This will help open nasal passages as well as soothe a sore throat

2. Avoid propping your head up with an extra pillow as this can restrict breathing. Instead elevate your head by raising the head of the bed by placing books or bricks under the bed-legs (providing it’s safe to do this) so that your shoulders and whole upper body is slightly elevated.

3. Take a glass of water to bed – a congested nose will cause you to breath through your mouth irritating the throat and causing coughing, a sip of water will help alleviate the irritation

4. Keep the bedroom cool and dark, and the covers light, to help you feel more comfortable when you have a temperature

5. Have a hot bath before bed to relax tense muscles. The steam will also loosen congestion and hydrate the nose and throat

6. If your coughing is keeping you (or your partner) awake, try a specialist night time OTC remedy available from your pharmacist, such as Covonia Night Time Formula

Covonia Night Time Formula helps to control and calm troublesome dry coughs and helps you get a good night’s sleep, helping your body recover. Covonia’s formula contains dextromethorphan hydrobromide which reduces your desire to cough and diphenhydramine hydrochloride (an antihistamine) which helps dry up your runny nose and relieve nasal congestion. It has a pleasant blackcurrant and menthol flavour and contains a sedating decongestant to help achieve a restful sleep. Priced at £4.06 for 150ml, it is available from all UK pharmacies.

Visit www.whatcough.co.uk to identify what type of cough you have and to find the right remedy. The Covonia range is available from all UK pharmacies and supermarkets including Boots and Tesco. Always read the label.