Sounds like sinus pressure to me.
Got allergies? Are you a smoker? Is there more pollution in your local? Colder at night? Change of humidity? All of these and more can cause your sinuses to act up.
Sinuses are canals that connect the nose, ears and throat all together. Their functions include putting holes in the skull to make it lighter, to provide a pressure 'valve' for the ear canal', to house and manufacture the bodies first defense against germ invaders creating mucous to catch the debris and germs, They also act as a prewarmer warming the air before it is sucked into the lungs, and also as a humidifier.
Some things that can happen; The membranes (Lining of the sinuses) can swell up from irritants or as an allergy reaction (histamine reaction). The mucous can partially solidify, or combine with dust and debris in the air and become more solid, there could be an over production of mucous - This usually happens when we have a head cold. This is a good thing since mucous cleans out germs from our ears, nose and throats. Or there could be a combination of all these.
Knowing what is going on is key for treatment.
Nasal sprays are only good for the nose cavity and the throat. Since the spray is going directly to the throat there is nothing wrong with your nose (No blockages at least)
Since the pressure is behind the eyes, around the eyes, we can assume it is either pressure caused by a back up (With the 2 hour wait this would be my first assessment) or an over production of mucous which would require you to sit up to 'drain' the sinus cavities.
I would use a Decongestant. This is not an Antihistamine - An antihistamine blocks the histamine reaction which mostly causes runny noses -
A decongestant opens up the sinus cavities by reducing swelling allowing the sinuses to drain.
These do come in separate over the counter forms - they also come together in most Patent Cold Remedies like Ni-quil. Together they work on the histamine reaction (drying up the sinuses) and also the congestion (by reducing swelling).
Why I suggest trying a decongestant first is because most antihistamines will make you feel edgy - and at night can have a negative effect on your sleep patterns - In other words they are like caffeine and will keep you awake. Not only that but they do dry out the sinuses and if you are not having an over production of mucous (runny nose) that can lead to further swelling as the sinus membranes dry out becoming more sensitive.
Which leads me to another aspect, how humid is the air you are breathing at night? If it is dry it could be leading to this issue.
If you are already using the heater to keep the house warm at night, it could very well be that you are drying out the air which is drying out your sinuses which causes them to swell up.
Or it could be the fall weather that is dry around where you live. -
If this is the case you might want to get a humidifier - this is different than a vaporizer - to add humidity to the bed room air. In the winter here I have three defenses against winter dryness:
1. I keep the temperature below 72 F.
2. I have floor vents, over three of them I have large vases sitting halfway over, inside of those I have added water with 2 drops of bleach - The water evaporates rather rapidly, thus I have to go about refilling.
3. I have the simmer pot on the stove. I turn on the burner on simmer, put the 2 quart pot of water on it, I also add cinnamon sticks, and other nice smelling herbs. I let it simmer through the day when we are home, adding water as needed.
Eucalyptus oil added to the simmer pot is a good, it helps to keep the passages open and it is reputed to fight the germs that cause colds
(also Eucalyptus leaves under chairs and sofas in the summer on carpeted floors reduces those fleas if you have animals)
Humidity in a house will make it feel warmer. Though the thermostat says it is 69F it will feel comfortable because we have it more humid.
In the winter months I do this: I put a pan of water on the stove, heat it up to near boiling, take it off the stove and bend over covering my head with a towel and inhale the vapors of water - This helps to open me up and cause my sinuses to drain. It is safer than taking any drugs to treat the issue. It provides temporary relief, which in your case may be all that you need since this is just a nightly thing.
If none of this helps then we can assume Sinusitis which is a sinus infection. That would need to be treated a little more aggressively with prescription medications which require a doctor.
Try the decongestant first, give it a couple of nights - if that doesn't work by itself, try adding humidity, if that doesn't work after 5 days, see a doctor.
Cheers
David
