I have just discovered something great that is helping me breathe at night (well Alun bought it, but I am writing about it so I can claim a bit of the credit) and is also going to help me sleep better at night even when my cold has passed. It’s a new invention form Vicks that I’m sure we will be buying a lot more of in the future! This amazing new thing is Breathe Right Nasal Strips!

They are plaster like strips that you stick to your nose. You can use them during the night to help you sleep (they can also stop you snoring) and also during the day ~ usually during exercise or when you are really having trouble with a bunged up nose. They come in two varieties ~ Standard and Mentholated, three pack sizes ~ 8, 10 and 30 and in two sizes ~ Large and Small/Medium. Packs of 30 cost £13.99 and packs of 8 (which are mentholated) and 10 (which come in clear and standard) cost £5.99. Ours came from Boots; I’m sure other places stock them, but I haven’t left the house since I went to the Doctors last week, so I haven’t looked anywhere else Alun got a pack of 8 mentholated ones for each of us ~ mine where Small/Medium (because I have a delicate little nose ~ these suit anyone with a small to average sized conk) and Alun plumped for the large (they are little bit big for him ~ the description says “for an adult with a larger nose”). They are only meant to use once, so make sure you don’t re-use the strip. As with any plasters it’s best not to use them on broken skin and don’t let anyone under five years old use them either. The strips contain natural rubber latex as well, so they aren’t suitable for anyone who has an allergy!

There is a pictorial instruction leaflet inside which shows you which is the best place to position them on your nose. It’s quite easy because they are self adhesive. They stick onto the outside of your nose resting on the nostrils ~ they hold the nostrils apart slightly to “pull congested nasal passages open”. The menthol bit (if you buy that option) needs to be activated by scratching the strip gently. I found that you did need to occasionally scratch the strip every now and then to keep the menthol working. Hopefully then you will go to sleep and be able to breathe easier.

8 days on and we think they are great! Just make sure that you use the right size for your nose though ~ I accidentally used the large and woke up with the strip stuck to my left cheek! When you get the right size they fit well and, once securely stuck on, they really helped me to sleep.

They do feel a little odd at first, but I was surprised how quickly I got used to wearing one. Just a slight pinching on the side of your nose and nostrils, not a lot more than that! I looked in the mirror the first morning and thought I looked a little on the silly side ~ then I looked at Alun and he looked as silly as I did, so I didn't feel as bad. Don't think I'd venture outside the house in one, but then again, this is 'flu not a fashion parade!

The menthol smell isn’t particularly strong, so isn’t too overpowering. I was worried that if it was too pungent, it might have the opposite effect and keep me awake. In reality there was just a delicate smell of menthol (a bit like a very mild menthol sweet) so I was able to settle down and get a pretty good night’s rest.

I would definitely recommend Vicks Breathe Right Nasal Strips ~ they have been good for us on two counts; helping my blocked nose AND helping Alun’s snoring! They are quite expensive, but they DO work, so we will probably buy them during the winter when we are more bunged up.