How to Sleep with an Ear Infection (2024)

FAQs

How to Sleep with an Ear Infection? ›

Elevation (aka sleeping upright)

The best sleeping positions for ear infections are typically lying on the unaffected side or sleeping with the affected ear elevated using pillows.

Ear infection symptoms can worsen at night because the pressure is greater. Lying down can back up the drainage in the middle ear, causing pressure and pain. “This makes sense due to gravity and lying down,” Dr. Johnson explains.

To sleep with an ear infection, elevate your head or sleep on your non-affected side. Elevating the affected ear makes it easier for the infection to drain.

Effective home remedies for safe fluid drainage include jiggling the earlobe, using gravity, creating a vacuum, using a blow dryer, trying ear drops or sprays, trying more water, inhaling steam, and gargling with saltwater.

Place a cold pack or cold wet washcloth on the outer ear for 20 minutes to reduce pain. Chewing may help relieve the pain and pressure of an ear infection. (Gum can be a choking hazard for young children.) Resting in an upright position instead of lying down can reduce pressure in the middle ear.

Severe, throbbing earaches that occur mainly in the evening or at night are a characteristic feature of an acute middle ear infection. Otitis media acuta, as the doctors call it, is a painful infection of the ear that can occur on one or both sides and at any age.

Try propping up your head on two or more pillows, so your affected ear is higher than the rest of your body. That will help encourage fluid to drain. (Yay, gravity!) If both your ears are affected, you may find that sleeping on your back may be more comfortable.

What is the fastest way to cure an ear infection at home? ›

Warm compresses, as well as over-the-counter pain medication and ear drops can all help alleviate ear pain. Getting plenty of rest and staying hydrated can help the healing process, too. If symptoms don't go away within two or three days or get worse before that, you should contact a healthcare provider.

One of the most common methods to alleviate pressure and promote fluid drainage from the middle ear is popping your ears using the Valsalva maneuver. This technique involves covering the affected ear with your palm and pushing and pulling it away from the ear quickly.

If you're an adult with a middle ear infection, elevating the affected ear makes it easier for the infection to drain out. So, sleep on your other side or tuck a few extra pillows under your head if sleeping on your back. If you have an outer ear infection, keep blankets and hair away from your ear.

Your physician may recommend the following: Irrigate your ear canal liberally with a 1:1 mixture of rubbing alcohol and white vinegar. This can be done twice daily for active infections or every other day for maintenance. Use a generous amount enough to fill the canal.

Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen will help relieve the pain until you feel better. Be sure to get plenty of rest. Drink extra water and fluids. Decongestants and antihistamines may help stop your earache from hurting if allergies or an upper respiratory tract infection causes it.

Once on antibiotics, your child will get better in 2 or 3 days. Make sure you give your child the antibiotic as directed. The fever should be gone by 2 days (48 hours). The ear pain should be better by 2 days.

If your ears are plugged, try swallowing, yawning or chewing sugar-free gum to open your eustachian tubes. If this doesn't work, take a deep breath and try to blow out of your nose gently while pinching your nostrils closed and keeping your mouth shut. If you hear a popping noise, you know you have succeeded.