# Cold Symptoms at night

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-symptoms-at-night/104525>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 19, 2002, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-symptoms-at-night/104525 "2002-04-19T14:40:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drollman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f04885/32.png) [@drollman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drollman)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-symptoms-at-night/104525/1 "2002-04-19T14:40:15Z")

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Why do cold symptoms seem more severe at night, especially when you’re trying to sleep.

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**Author:** ![ejrn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a6a055/32.png) [@ejrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ejrn)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-symptoms-at-night/104525/2 "2002-04-19T16:42:48Z")

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My educated guess would be that it is a mechanical thing. When you lie down, you lose gravity as an aid to drainage of the mucous. Also, blood flow to the head is slightly increased when lying down which contributes to congestion.

Then add in the fact that you have few external distractions once you turn out the light. You have freed up all your psychic energy to contemplate your misery.

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**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-symptoms-at-night/104525/3 "2002-04-19T21:00:13Z")

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I also remember reading that the body’s own circadian rhythms play a role in this. The body’s energy resources naturally drop for most people during nighttime, so you have fewer reserves to draw upon to fight the cold.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-symptoms-at-night/104525/4 "2002-04-19T21:33:35Z")

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The symptoms be worsened by [allergens in your pillows](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&as_qdr=all&q=allergens+pillows&spell=1).

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-symptoms-at-night/104525/5 "2002-04-19T21:36:14Z")

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Where’d that “might” get off to ?☹