I cannot emphasize enough the wisdom of ellaoutdoors and Boliver (two who answered your question above) who recommended the netti pot. In addition it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT not to use:
Generic Name: oxymetazoline nasal (ox ee me TAZ oh leen) Brand Names: Afrin, Afrin Nasal Sinus, Allerest 12 Hour Nasal Spray, Duramist Plus, Duration, Four-Way Nasal Spray, Genasal, Neo-Synephrine 12 Hour, Nostrilla, NRS Nasal, NTZ Long Acting Nasal, Oxyfrin, Oxymeta-12, Sinarest Nasal, Sinex Long-Acting, Twice-A-Day
I, too have had a rebound effect and it can occur very quickly. At the time I didn't know about the rebound. When I went to the allergist I learned I was making my problem worse by using Afrin regularly. I started by using Nasalcrom a spray designed to reduce the reaction to histamines. It is sold over the counter and is used 3 to 4 times daily. It reduced my stuffiness and my sinus infections. A couple years later Nasonex was prescribed. This is another nasal spray which does not have a rebound effect. I use both sprays. Nasonex added increased my relief from nasal symptoms. A couple years after that I started using a saline rinse of nasal passages (same as netti pot mentioned above without the pot). I use a squirt bottle when traveling. At home I sometimes use a nasal irrigation attachment for my waterpik and sometimes lay in bed using saline drops with my head tilted back while I do my hand and leg exercises (for arthritis).
The nasal saline solution I use has baking soda, pickling salt (no iodine makes it gentler on the nose) and water. I can't remember the proportions right now, because I mix about a years worth of baking soda and salt in one session. I do enough for 1 gallon of water & put it in snack bags. Then when I need another gallon my salt & soda are ready. If I'm using the waterpik a lot, it requires more solution so I might mix 3 or 4 gallons of the liquid at a time, because the waterpik may use a quart for one irrigation. If I am using drops in my nose while lying in bed, it doesn't use a lot of solution. It takes a while, because I let it stay a few minutes and then blow my nose, clearing as much as possible without forcing. then more drops, more blowing and more drops, etc. It is remarkable what can be cleared out. I think that if it were not cleared it would be drying and blocking the sinus drainage openings. In addition I can often feed the sinus itself draining. WoW, never before had i felt my sinuses drain! This irrigation procedure brought me more relief for sleep-breathing and relief from sinus infections than I had ever had from anything else. I still use the nasal sprays, Nasonex once a day prescription and Nasalcrom OTC. And when I do get a sinus infection, it is when I have been too busy and ignored my daily irrigation procedure for several days.
After weaning myself off Afrin many years ago, I discontinued its use altogether. Now I use it only when a weather front is coming through and produces such incredible sinus pain that I cannot get rid of it with pain killer. And then I NEVER use it more than two days and only once on each day. It is my emergency rescue. BEWARE OF THOSE NASAL SPRAYS WITH REBOUNDS -- they do make it WORSE.
One more note, I discovered not too long ago that a large part of my night-time stuffy nose was due to hair products. You may want to try non-fragrance products, or pay attention to the contents of your shampoo, spray, gel, etc. If you want to determine if there is any relationship, only discontinue one product at a time.