I don't often jump in here, but WOW I had a stuffy nose big time this morning - in the dentist's chair; every time he laid the chair back, it was like my nasal passages slammed shut and I could only breathe through my mouth. It brought back memories of childhood, where I breathed fine all day, and got completely stuffed up when I laid down. Needless to say, he was not happy with a mouth-breathing patient while he was drilling.

Step one - my Dad found the first culprit - my beloved, squishy down pillow. (He couldn't use them either, or even have feathers or down in the bedroom.) That helped, but I still got stuffed up about halfway through the night.

One night I realized that whenever I woke up I had turned from sleeping on my side to my back. If I turned on my side, gradually the upper nasal passage would clear enough to breathe. I did that for at least 30 years, suffering chronic sinus & ear infections along the way. As an adult, I finally saw the same ENT who was treating my kids, he found very narrow passageways, eustachian tube dysfunction (he assumed these were narrow too) and a deviated septum as well as crud and scar tissue in my sinuses. He cleaned it all out, reset my nose, and my breathing has been more or less normal for a number of years.

Now, my ancient airways are haunting me again - closing up at crazy times, and I have sleep apnea. I'm working with the ENT on a solution.

Azalastine spray at bedtime has helped, and during allergy season I use it mid-morning as well.

I hope you can find a solution - air hunger in the middle of the night is not conducive to sound sleep!