Making small changes in your child’s bedroom can lead to big differences at night-time.
It’s the middle of the winter, and you’re counting the trips to the doctor and the number of schooldays your child has missed. Perhaps you’ve even been to the emergency room a few times.
Night-time coughing is a major signal that something in the home environment is triggering asthma symptoms. The bedroom is where your child spends the longest continuous time, and should be a haven for rest. However, if dust and dust mites are a trigger for your child’s asthma, sleep and night-time might just not make it into the same sentence.
Dust mites feed off of dead skin cells and thrive in warm, moist, soft places such as carpeting, upholstery and mattresses. To reduce dust collectors:
- Encase the mattress and pillows in allergen-proof covers.
- Allow only one or two stuffed-animal friends on the bed. Donate the rest to charity, or store them in a lidded box.
- Use bedding that is easily washed, preferably in hot water.
- Move upholstered furniture out of the bedroom and replace with all-wood furniture.
- Limit bric-a-brac and furniture with ornately-carved crevices.
- Bookshelves with glass doors can display trophies and special objects without collecting dust.
- When not in use, keep toys in containers with lids, and store in the closet; shelves in the closet can make storage easier.
- If using a scatter rug, make sure it is washable in hot water; keep a pad underneath to avoid slipping.
- When possible, replace wall-to-wall carpeting with hardwood floors, and drapes and mini-blinds with washable window shades.
- Try to keep the home humidity below 50 percent. This discourages mold growth (another indoor trigger) and dust mites.
- Dust and vacuum at least once a week. Vacuum cleaners with a HEPA filter are designed to trap more allergens.
- Since dusting and vacuuming can stir up dust particles, try to keep kids out of the area for a couple of hours.
By trying some or all of these suggestions, you’ll be surprised at how great the pay-off can be in reducing coughing and wheezing. More rest at night means less missed school.
Enlist the help and suggestions of your child in implementing these changes. The more your child feels a part of the process, the better compliance it will bring. Have some of their friends over to brainstorm for a bedroom “make-over.” Hopefully you’ll all breathe better at night!
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