Do you find yourself sneezing and/or coughing when you are trying to sleep?  It could be that you are having an allergic reaction and it is possible you are not even aware you have allergies.  If you are one of those people, then you definitely do not know where your allergies are coming from…but it is possible that your reactions are coming from your down comforter.

Your best bet in pinpointing your problem would to be to see a certified allergist, but at night if you are lying awake in bed from sneezing and your eyes are watering, it could be beneficial to you to narrow down the possibilities of your reactions.  If you have pets and they sleep in your room at night, their hair and dander could very well be on your covers or even your pillows.  Remove the pets and wash the linens and test the next few nights to see if you still suffer from the same symptoms.

Another source of allergens could be house plants in your bedroom.  Again, remove the plants from your room and rinse and repeat the previously mentioned experiment.  If you symptoms cease, then you have probably found your source of trouble.

Of course, if you have tried the previous suggestions and are still suffering, it could be your down comforter.  This of course might make you very sad because like many you are probably especially attached to your comfy covers!  Try removing the down cover and replacing it with another bed spread.  Again, if symptoms clear then you have my sympathies because you are probably allergic to the down.  The feathers in a down bed spread are the reason most people find them so appealing and so soft, but unfortunately it is the feathers that people are allergic to.

Fret not dear friend!  There is a solution.  If you confirm that you are allergic to down, there is a very nice compromise that you might even prefer.  They now make “down” comforters that are imitations filled with fiberfill.  These substitutes are extremely soft, the reason you like the down in the first place, and they have the added benefit of zero feathers falling or poking through the material.  Many people find they prefer the fiberfill to the actual down.  Some report loss of warmth with the substitute, but not enough to not to use the imitation.  The cozy feeling they get from the actual covers far outweighs a small loss of warmth.