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If you experience a nosebleed at night, you’re not alone. Nighttime nosebleeds are common, with research showing they occur more often than during the day.

Many factors can cause nosebleeds at night, from picking your nose to dry air. And they can happen more often at certain times of the year.

Waking up in the middle of the night with a nosebleed or finding dried blood on your pillowcase in the morning isn’t fun. But there are steps you can take to try to prevent them.

Learn more about what causes nosebleeds at night and how to manage them.

What Are Nosebleeds?

Also known as epistaxis, a nosebleed is blood loss from inside your nose. It occurs when one of the blood vessels inside the nose bursts, causing a rush of blood.

Nosebleeds are common — at least 60% of people experience a nosebleed at some point. Some people get them more often than others for a variety of reasons.

Most nosebleeds aren’t serious, and bleeding typically stops within a matter of minutes. In rare cases, nosebleeds can be serious enough to need medical attention. That usually occurs when bleeding starts from the large blood vessels at the back of the nose.

Are Nosebleeds Common at Night?

Research shows that nosebleeds frequently occur in the evening and nighttime hours.

A 2021 study in the Journal of Clinical Practice & Research examined 735 people with nosebleeds over four years. Nearly three-quarters of them (72.2%) had nosebleeds in the evening or night.

A 2023 study in Medicine Today had similar findings. In a study of 220 nosebleed sufferers over a two-year span, 72.9% had their nosebleeds in the evening or at night.

Both studies also reported that nosebleeds occurred more often in the winter.

What Causes Nosebleeds at Night?

Nosebleeds can happen for many different reasons, but the most common include dry air and picking your nose.

When the air is dry, it can cause the inside of your nostrils to dry out and crack. This can make your nose more prone to bleeding. Using an air conditioner or furnace, which many people do at night, can cause the air in your house to become dry.

When you pick your nose, you can irritate the blood vessels inside your nose, causing your nose to bleed. And when dry air dries out the mucus inside the nose, it can lead people to pick their nose more often. Even if you don’t consciously pick your nose during the day, it can happen unconsciously at night.

Other potential causes of nighttime nosebleeds include:

• Allergies.
• Blowing your nose too roughly.
• Colds.
• Deviated septum.
• Drug use.
• Injury to the nose.
• Medications, such as blood thinners, aspirin, or nasal sprays.
• Sneezing.

People may be more at risk of frequent nosebleeds if they have certain medical conditions, including:

• Alcohol overuse and smoking.
• Blood clotting disorders.
• High blood pressure.
• Nose or sinus tumor (cancerous or noncancerous).
• Sleep apnea.

Treating Your Nighttime Nosebleed

Nosebleeds at night are generally minor and will go away with at-home treatment.

If you have a nosebleed, you should:

• Sit down and lean slightly forward — This allows the blood to drain out your nose. Do not lean backward or lay down, as this can cause the blood to run down the back of your throat.
• Squeeze the bottom portion of your nose — Use two fingers (such as your thumb and pointer finger) to gently squeeze the soft part of your nose below the bridge.
• Wait five minutes — Stay seated while squeezing your nose for five minutes before checking to see if the bleeding has stopped. If not, continue squeezing for another five to 10 minutes.

You can try applying cold compresses or ice to the bridge of your nose to help. But you should avoid putting tissues or gauze inside your nose, as it can irritate the nose further.

Once your nosebleed stops, you should avoid activities that could irritate your nose for a couple of hours.

If your nosebleed hasn’t stopped within 30 minutes despite treating it, you should seek medical attention. You also should see a doctor if:

• A child under 2 years old has a nosebleed.
• The nose looks broken.
• The nosebleed is associated with an overall head injury.
• The person with the nosebleed is taking a blood thinner.
• You’re having frequent nosebleeds.

Doctors may treat a nosebleed with chemical or electrical cauterization or by packing the nose.

Preventing Nosebleeds

It may be difficult to prevent nighttime nosebleeds altogether, especially if you’re prone to them. But there are steps you can take to help lower your risk, including:

• Avoiding nose-picking — If you consciously pick your nose, stopping the habit can lower your risk of nosebleeds.
• Blowing your nose gently — Avoid blowing your nose forcefully, especially at night. Forcefully blowing your nose can irritate your nasal passage, making it more likely to cause a nosebleed.
• Quitting smoking — Smoking can dry out the inside of your nose, putting you at greater risk of nosebleeds. Quitting can lower your risk.
• Using a humidifier — Putting a humidifier in your bedroom when you sleep can help counteract the dryness of the air, making nighttime nosebleeds less likely.
• Using nasal spray — A moistening saline nasal spray can help prevent your nose from drying out, lowering your risk for nosebleeds. Another potential option is a water-soluble jelly. Talk to your doctor for guidance before using these.