NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) -- Treatment with a nasal spray, known as Nasacort, before bedtime improves sleep quality in patients with nasal allergies, new research shows.

"Usually, we don't give (Nasacort) for nocturnal symptoms--it's not marketed for this and so we give it more for symptoms of head congestion during the day," lead author Dr. Noor Bunney, a physician from Troy, Michigan, told Reuters Health.

However, the new findings suggest that doctors should consider giving it to allergy patients with sleep problems, he added.

He presented the findings during the Annual Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

In the study, Bunney and colleagues had 651 adults with nasal allergies complete two questionnaires that measured day and nighttime quality of life. The patients completed the questionnaire both before and after being treated with Nasacort for 3 weeks.

"There was a tremendous response," Bunney noted. Nasacort seemed to produce a dramatic improvement in both day and nighttime quality of life. In addition, no side effects were seen with the drug, he added.