Good Sleep Habits
A healthy habit of sleeping helps your body fight off infections. Sinus infections are caused by the inflammation of the tissue that lines the sinuses. This inflammation is usually caused by an infection, which makes sense because your immune system works better when you get enough sleep. So, sleeping at least eight hours a night helps your body fight against germs.
There are many other reasons good sleep habits can help relieve sinus infections. For example, when you sleep, your immune system produces antibodies to fight infections and clean up debris in your bloodstream. As a result, the blood vessels in your lungs dilate, increasing the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream. This is important because sinus infections are caused by the fungus-like bacteria called Pneumocystis carinii, which takes advantage of low oxygen levels in your bloodstream.
Your body also releases chemicals called cytokines during sleep, which reduce pain and swelling in tissues related to diseases like cystic fibrosis and arthritis and in tissues infected with bacteria or viruses. Your immune system needs time to rest so it can produce these chemicals and fight off infections when they occur. Some cytokines also help regulate cell growth and death, which can either increase or decrease inflammation in the body.
