Does Hayfever cause Insomnia?

Now that the hayfever season is here, many people are experiencing sleep problems and can't fall asleep, and I wondered, does hayfever cause insomnia?

Hayfever and allergies can lead to problems sleeping according to a study conducted by French researchers from Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris. It suggests that hay fever may be associated with impaired sleep quality.

Research in the past has suggested that allergies contribute to snoring and breathing problems during sleep, including sleep apnea, a disorder that causes breathing to become shallow or stop while sleeping. Moreover, the researchers also found that the effects of hay fever on sleep became more apparent as the severity of the condition got worse.

The study concluded doctors should question patients who have hayfever if they are having problems sleeping (and perhaps vice versa, ask those who had sleep disorders whether they had allergies or hayfever), to detect sleep disorders early in these patients and treat them promptly, as treating allergic rhinitis or other nasal symptoms may dramatically improve the quality of sleep and hence the patient's quality of life.

Do Sleep Disorders Cause Weight Gain?

According to researchers at the University of Helsinki, sleep disorders can cause weight gain in middle aged women if they don't get a good night's sleep.

The weight and sleeping habits of around 7,300 women aged between 40 and 60 over a seven year period were examined and it was found that about one in three of women with frequent sleep problems gained at least 11 pounds in weight over the seven years as opposed to one in five of the women who got a consistent 8 hours recommended sleep.

This could be down to the fact that the sleep disorders could affect the chemicals that dictate appetite although, according to the lead researcher Peppi Lyytikainen, more studies need to be done to verify whether it was the lack of sleep that was causing the weight gain or vice versa.