A 10-point bedroom checklist for allergy season

To make your bedroom easier on allergies, start with the bed: wash bedding weekly in hot water, cover your mattress and pillows, and keep pets off it. Then keep humidity below 50%, close the windows on high-pollen days and wash pollen off before bed. If your nose is still stuffy, treat the allergy itself and use a nasal strip to help air through at night.

Start with the bedroom. The American Lung Association says most exposure to dust mite allergens happens while sleeping, and Cleveland Clinic notes that dust, pet dander and mold at home, plus pollen you carry in on your hair and skin, can make allergies worse at night. Dust mites are common, too: the American Lung Association says roughly four out of five homes in the United States have dust mite allergens in at least one bed. And it's worth the effort, since the Sleep Foundation says people with allergies are more than twice as likely to have insomnia as people without them. Here's a 10-point checklist.

Your bed

Wash your bedding weekly in hot water

Dust mite allergens settle into fabrics rather than staying in the air, so bedding is where they collect. The American Lung Association recommends washing bedding in water of at least 120 F once a week. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) suggests 130 F, followed by a hot dryer. If your sheets can't take that heat, check the care label and wash as hot as it allows.

Cover your mattress and pillows

Both the AAAAI and the American Lung Association recommend encasing mattresses and pillows in allergen-proof covers. The AAAAI includes box springs too, and says allergen-proof covers are also available for comforters and pillows that can't be washed often. Zippered covers go on once and stay on, which makes this one of the easier items on the list.

Keep pets out of the bedroom

The American Lung Association says pet dander can linger in the air longer than other allergens because it's microscopic and jagged, which helps it stick to bedding and fabrics. It recommends keeping pets out of the bedroom of anyone with an allergy, and Cleveland Clinic gives the same advice for nighttime stuffiness. The AAAAI adds that there are no hypoallergenic breeds of dogs or cats, since people react to proteins in saliva, dander and urine rather than hair. It also notes that for some people, pet allergy symptoms peak 8 to 12 hours after contact. Pet allergies and sleep covers more ways to manage it.

Clear out the dust collectors

The Sleep Foundation suggests avoiding heavy drapes, upholstered furniture and wall-to-wall carpet in the bedroom where you can, using tightly woven sheets, and removing things like stuffed animals and old books that gather dust. The American Lung Association says that if stuffed animals have to stay, wash them weekly in hot water.

The room

Keep humidity below 50%

Humidity is the biggest factor in how many dust mites a home has, according to the American Lung Association, because mites absorb moisture from the air rather than drinking. It recommends keeping your home below 50% humidity, using air conditioning or a dehumidifier in humid areas. The AAAAI adds that dampness also feeds mold, and recommends emptying and cleaning dehumidifiers regularly so they don't grow mildew themselves. If you spot mold on a hard surface, the AAAAI suggests cleaning it with water and detergent, using a 5% bleach solution if needed and never mixing bleach with other cleaners, then drying the area completely. It recommends repairing leaks and bringing in a professional if mold covers more than 10 square feet.

Close the windows and filter the air

The Sleep Foundation says leaving windows open during the day invites allergens into your home, while closed windows and doors help keep them out of the bedroom. It also says air purifiers can help clear bedroom air of common allergens, including dust mites, pet dander, mold and pollen brought in from outside. The American Lung Association also suggests air cleaners to cut the amount of pet allergen in the air.

Vacuum and dust the right way

If you have carpet, the American Lung Association recommends vacuuming weekly with a HEPA filter vacuum and damp cleaning floors often. When dusting, use a damp or microfiber cloth that traps dust instead of stirring it up. It also suggests hard flooring over carpet for people allergic to dust mites, and the AAAAI agrees that wall-to-wall carpet is best removed where possible.

You and your nose

Shower and change before bed

Pollen sticks to your hair and skin during the day. Cleveland Clinic recommends showering before bed and changing your clothes to wash off outdoor allergens. The Sleep Foundation adds that after time outside on high-pollen days, clothes should go straight into the laundry rather than into the bedroom, and that clothes are better dried in a dryer than hung outside.

Treat the allergy, not just the room

Avoiding allergens is the most effective approach, the AAAAI says, but strict avoidance isn't always possible. Cleveland Clinic suggests antihistamines or nasal sprays for allergy relief, plus a neti pot or saline spray to loosen mucus at night. In a small 1998 study of 20 people with allergic rhinitis, a steroid nasal spray improved both congestion and how they rated their sleep, while a placebo didn't. The Sleep Foundation suggests asking your doctor whether taking allergy medicine at night would help. If over-the-counter options aren't enough, the American Lung Association says seeing an allergist and getting tested is the best way to work out your next step, and the AAAAI notes that allergy shots can often bring long-term relief for pet allergies. How to use a saline rinse walks through the rinse.

Wear a nasal strip

Lying down narrows the nose a little. A 2022 meta-analysis found that lying flat increases nasal resistance and reduces airflow. A nasal strip gently lifts the sides of the nose open from the outside to help air through. In a 2018 trial of 59 people with chronic nighttime congestion, strips improved some measures of sleep satisfaction and congestion on waking compared with placebo strips. A small controlled trial in people with chronic rhinitis found strips cut snoring from about 258 to 173 snores an hour. The Sleep Foundation notes that results across nasal strip studies have been mixed. Nasal strips for allergies covers the details.

Some people add mouth tape once their nose is clear, to keep breathing through the nose all night. The Sleep Foundation says not to tape if your nose is blocked from allergies, so save it for clear nights. See a doctor if your congestion lasts most of the season, or if you snore loudly with choking, gasping or heavy daytime tiredness, which the Sleep Foundation lists as signs of sleep apnea. Strips and tape are for adults, not children.

Our pick: TitanAir Nasal Strips (paid partner)

The strip we recommend for allergy season is TitanAir Nasal Strips. Titan says they're drug-free external nasal dilators with flexible spring-loaded bands, worn just above the flare of the nostrils on the soft part of the nose. It suggests applying them to clean, dry skin without moisturizer, and loosening them with warm water and peeling from the ends inward in the morning. Titan says every batch is third-party tested and certified PFAS-free, and offers a 30-night guarantee.

For more, browse our nasal strip articles.

Read next

• Why do allergies feel worse at night?
• How to sleep with a stuffy nose
• How nasal strips work

* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.