Do you ever find yourself tossing and turning at night, plagued by unexplained itching, congestion, or even vivid nightmares? You’re not alone. Anyone with histamine intolerance is familiar with this nighttime battlefield.
But why does histamine seem to wage war on your body when the sun goes down? What could your immune system possibly be reacting to when you’re meant to be fast asleep?
Let’s unravel these mysteries and find out how to stop histamine reactions at night. Here’s a hint: it has something to do with your natural sleep-wake cycle, diet, and sleep environment.
Histamine Intolerance 101: A Quick Recap
Before tackling the nighttime histamine surge, we need to understand what histamine is and what it does in the body.
Histamine is a biogenic amine, a class of chemicals produced by the body. It is involved in various bodily functions, including immune responses, digestion, the transmission of nerve impulses, and allergic reactions (1).
It works by binding to histamine receptors that are located throughout the body. There are four different types of receptor identifiable, namely H1, H2, H3, and H4, which determine the way the body responds when histamine binds to one (or more) of them.
Normally, your body maintains a delicate balance between histamine production and breakdown. Once histamine has done its job, it is degraded by enzymes such as diamine oxidase (DAO).
However, if you have histamine intolerance, this balance is disrupted, often due to low levels of DAO. This means histamine builds up in your system, leading to a host of pesky and sometimes debilitating symptoms (2).
The Link Between Your Circadian Rhythm and Histamine Intolerance
Your body has an internal clock that keeps time with a natural 24-hour cycle, known as the circadian rhythm. It is best known for regulating when you go to sleep and wake up. But, did you know, it controls a range of other physiological processes?
Your circadian rhythm controls hormone release, hunger, digestion, and body temperature regulation. But most significant for people with histamine intolerance, it also has a hand in histamine production and release (4).
Research shows that histamine levels fluctuate throughout the day, but they begin to rise at night, peaking when you're supposed to be asleep.
Why, you might ask?
Well, even though it may seem counterintuitive to a good night's rest, this nocturnal rise in histamine is part of your body’s normal functioning. It helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle (5).
You see, for someone whose body handles histamine efficiently, it’s not a problem. However, for those with histamine intolerance, this natural rise in histamine can tip the scales towards excessive and intolerable levels of histamine flowing through the body. And this increase in histamine aggressively stimulates those receptors I mentioned earlier, which triggers symptoms as you sleep.
Factors Contributing to Nighttime Symptoms of Histamine Intolerance
While the natural 24-hour fluctuations in histamine release are largely responsible for your sleepless night when you have histamine intolerance, there are other factors that need to be considered.
Mast cells store and release histamine when potential threats are encountered by your immune system. They can become more active at night during certain sleep stages, leading to the release of higher amounts of histamine (6).
It is also normal for hormone levels to fluctuate at night. Among those that may affect histamine release is cortisol, a stress hormone. In the face of danger, it is released, readying your nervous system to fight or flee depending on the situation you are presented with. Part of this reaction, you guessed it, is the release of histamine.
In addition, cortisol can be released in the early hours of the morning if you're generally more prone to a stress response. For example, if you begin to dread the nighttime waking due to your histamine intolerance symptoms peaking, it can cause a stress reaction, causing cortisol to be released at the same time. It becomes a vicious cycle, where in the case of histamine intolerance, this raised level of stress hormone can lead to higher levels of histamine, and histamine can cause you more stress at night (7).
Common Nighttime Symptoms of Histamine Intolerance
Histamine intolerance is responsible for a vast range of symptoms because the receptors are found throughout the body, in all tissues and organs. When histamine levels peak at night, your body is overwhelmed by rising levels, leading to allergic reactions that keeps you from getting the deep and restorative sleep that you need.
These middle-of-the-night reactions typically occur more suddenly that those you may experience in the daytime. They can also be more intense and include symptoms such as:
- Insomnia
- Night sweats
- Vivid dreams and nightmares
- Congestion or runny nose
- Skin itching and flushing
If you are experiencing these or any other nighttime symptoms regularly, consider investigating histamine intolerance as a potential cause.
How Diet Affects Histamine Intolerance Experienced at Night
What you eat and drink has a significant impact on your daytime histamine levels. Similarly, your evening meal can be the reason for your histamine attack at night.
High-histamine foods eaten at dinnertime can contribute to elevated histamine levels while you sleep. Common culprits include:
- Aged cheeses
- Cured meats
- Certain types of fish
- Alcohol
- Some vegetables such as spinach, pumpkin, and eggplant
- Fruits like banana, pineapple, and strawberries
Alcohol can be especially problematic. Not only is it most commonly consumed at night, but it contains histamine while also inhibiting DAO enzyme activity, creating a double-whammy for histamine-sensitive people.
Avoiding high-histamine foods and those that trigger histamine release is key to overcoming histamine symptoms—both at night and during the day. Download the free low-histamine diet guide by clicking the button below.
Environmental Triggers of Histamine Release at Night
Your sleep environment may also reveal some clues about why you suffer from histamine-related symptoms at night.
Dust mites, for example, find your bedding very inviting. You may not want to think about these tiny creatures sharing your bed, but if you are sensitive to dust mite proteins, they will trigger the release of histamine (8).
Mold is another potential histamine trigger. It has a way of hiding in dark corners, often going undetected. If you have a mold allergy, and there is mold growing somewhere in your bedroom, your histamine symptoms are likely to flare (9).
Tips for Managing Symptoms of Histamine Intolerance at Night
Much of the advice for managing histamine release at night is the same as it is for any other time of day. Tips include:
- Adjust your diet: Following a low-histamine diet that eliminates high-histamine and histamine-liberating foods can help lower histamine levels in your body.
- Practice good sleep hygiene: While part of your bedtime routine might include a nice hot shower and scrub, “hygiene” refers to your nighttime routine. In other words, what you do every night before you go to bed. Sleep hygiene includes going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, ensuring your sleeping space is cool and dark, and that you switch off your devices—phone, tablet, TV—at least an hour before going to sleep (10).
- Environmental modifications: Use dust mite-proof bedding and keep your bedroom free from mold.
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Consider supplements: Some people find relief with natural antihistamine or DAO supplements. Always consult with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement regimen.
Histamine release at night is a complex interplay of your body’s natural rhythms, what you eat, and your sleep environment. Understanding these factors can be the first step towards reclaiming restful sleep.
While these insights can help you navigate the frustrations caused by nighttime histamine release, we advise seeking guidance from a healthcare professional if you suffer from persistent symptoms.
Don’t forget to check out our other resources for managing histamine intolerance.
Wishing you peaceful sleep, sweet dreams, and low-histamine nights!
References
- Tiligada E, Ennis M. Histamine pharmacology: from Sir Henry Dale to the 21st century. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2018 Dec 2;(3):469–89.
- Comas-Basté O, Sánchez-Pérez S, Veciana-Nogués MT, Latorre-Moratalla M, Vidal-Carou M del C. Histamine Intolerance: The Current State of the Art. Biomolecules. 2020 Aug 14;(8):1181.
- Circadian Rhythms. National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS).
- Paganelli R, Petrarca C, Di Gioacchino M. Biological clocks: their relevance to immune-allergic diseases. Clinical and Molecular Allergy. 2018 Jan 10;(1).
- Nakao A, Nakamura Y, Shibata S. The circadian clock functions as a potent regulator of allergic reaction. Allergy. 2015 Mar 2 ;(5):467–73.
- Christ P, Sowa AS, Froy O, Lorentz A. The Circadian Clock Drives Mast Cell Functions in Allergic Reactions. Frontiers in Immunology. 2018 Jul 6 ;
- Elverson CA, Wilson ME. Cortisol: Circadian Rhythm and Response to a Stressor. Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews . 2005 Dec;(4):159–69.
- Dust Mite Allergy: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment. Cleveland Clinic. 2018
- Mold Allergy - Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment. Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America.
- Mastering Sleep Hygiene: Your Path to Quality Sleep. Sleep Foundation. 2009.
Anita Tee
My name is Anita Tee. I'm a nutritional scientist specializing in histamine intolerance. I hold a Master of Science in Personalized Nutrition and a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Psychology.
For the past ten years, I have used my experience in nutritional and medical health sciences to create a scientifically backed, natural approach to healthcare that relies 100% on evidence-based research.
As I previously suffered from - and overcame - histamine intolerance, my focus is to increase recognition and expand the available resources and protocols for resolving the disorder. To date, I have helped over 4,000 individuals fully resolve or better manage their histamine intolerance symptoms.
