Sleep and cold sores
Sleep and Cold Sores
Fatigue from a lack of sleep can easily trigger a cold sore or fever blister outbreak. The reality is we all have active lives. So, we need to be aware how important sleep is to those of us that suffer from cold sores. Health professionals agree that sleep in very important and while some of us need less or more sleep to be refreshed, the recommendation is to get those 8 hours in.
Whether you’re a bad sleeper or just need to recharge here are some of things to avoid and do more of to get a good night’s sleep.
Some Lip Tips on Sleep:
- Put that phone down, blue light, white light… its not really about the light, its about picking up the phone scrolling through emails and texts or surfing. Give your mind a rest and try to put the phone somewhere out of reach, maybe the next room. If you’re concerned about someone not reaching you, send a text ahead time and let them know you’ll catch up with them in the morning.
- Beds are for sleeping… and sex, make your bedroom the sanctuary. Many of us have TVs in them, but to avoid the temptation of clicking it on, move it to another room so your routine for sleep is more defined. And since most of our beds are in the bedroom, close the shades and darken your room. Many people do not realize that ambient light at night can be disruptive.
- Recondition yourself to avoid eating heavy meals, drinking a lot alcohol or having caffeinated products. These all stimulate your body one way or another, either by trying to digest your meals or your body trying to counteract the affects of alcohol. We don’t think we need to elaborate on caffeine, we all know why its not a great idea.
- Heavy exercise or strenuous activity, well yes, you may feel tired, but it’s not sleepiness. Try to avoid an hour or two before getting ready to sleep from activities that waking up the body. If you feel you need to stretch a bit before climbing into bed, try some light … we mean light or meditative yoga.
Overall, try to recondition or train your body to know when its time to sleep, infants have been doing it naturally for ions, we can probably take a page out of their book! Sleep does the body good and can help avoid one of the big triggers for cold sore outbreaks. For more sleep tips you can try these out too!
Disclaimer:
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
