Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Change Your Sleeping Habits
• Method 2 of 3: Use professional remedies
• Method 3 of 3: Use natural remedies

A night cough can not only irritate someone who shares a bed with you, but it can also interfere with your sleep at night. A nocturnal cough can sometimes be a sign of other respiratory conditions such as colds, bronchitis, whooping cough, and pneumonia. If a nocturnal cough persists after a week, see your doctor. Most often, a nocturnal cough is a symptom of an allergy or airway congestion. Correctly selected medications will help you get better.

Attention:the information in this article is for informational purposes only. Before using any methods, consult your doctor.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Change Your Sleeping Habits

1. 1 Sleep on an incline. Place a pillow under your head before bed, and try to sleep on more than one pillow. This will prevent mucus swallowed and accumulated during the day from flowing from the nasopharynx to the throat during sleep.
   • Alternatively, you can place wooden blocks under the head of the bed to raise it 10 cm. This angle will help to keep the acid in the stomach so that it does not irritate the throat.
   • Try not to sleep on your back at night if possible, as this makes breathing difficult and can provoke a cough.
   • Sleeping on an incline with more pillows is the best way to cure a cough in acute heart failure. This way, fluid will collect in the lower pulmonary fields and will not interfere with breathing.
2. 2 Take a hot shower or bath before bed. A nocturnal cough can be aggravated by dry airways. So, let some steam in the bathroom and absorb some moisture before bed.
   • If you have asthma, the steam can make your cough worse. Therefore, you should not try this method with asthma.
3. 3 Do not sleep under a fan, heater, or air conditioner. Cold air blowing on your face at night will only make your cough worse. Move the bed so that it is not under an air conditioner or heater. If your room has a fan at night, direct the airflow away from your bed.
4. 4 Install a humidifier in your bedroom. Humidifiers help keep the air in a room moist to keep it dry. This moisture will help keep the airways hydrated, reducing the urge to cough.
   • Maintain humidity levels between 40% –50% as dust mites and mold can thrive in humid air. To measure the humidity in your bedroom, buy a hygrometer from your local hardware store.
5. 5 Wash your bedding at least once a week. If you are constantly coughing at night and are prone to allergies, keep your bedding clean. Dust mites are tiny creatures that feed on dying skin flakes. They live in bedding and are a common cause of allergies.
   • Wash all bedding in hot water once a week, from sheets and pillowcases to duvet covers.
   • You can also wrap the mattress in plastic to keep out dust mites and keep your bedding clean.
6. 6 Leave a glass of water on your bedside table. This way, if you wake up from a cough at night, you can clear your throat by taking a long sip of water.
7. 7 Try to breathe through your nose while you sleep. Before going to bed, remember the Indian proverb: "Breathing through your mouth is like eating through your nose." Train yourself to breathe through your nose at night by taking a series of conscious breaths through your nose. This breathing puts less strain on the throat and helps to reduce the nighttime cough.
   • Sit up straight in a comfortable position.
   • Relax your upper body and close your mouth. Bring your tongue down to your lower teeth by removing it from the top of your mouth.
   • Place your hands on your diaphragm or lower abdomen. Try to breathe with your diaphragm, not your chest. It is important to breathe with the diaphragm because it helps gas exchange in the lungs and massages the liver, stomach and intestines, expelling toxins from these organs. This breathing also relaxes the upper body.
   • Inhale deeply through your nose, inhaling for 2-3 seconds.
   • Breathe out through your nose for 3-4 seconds. Pause for 2-3 seconds and inhale again through your nose.
   • Try to breathe this way, taking a series of breaths through your nose. By increasing the length of your in and out breaths, your body will get used to breathing through your nose rather than through your mouth.

Method 2 of 3: Use professional remedies

1. 1 Take an over-the-counter cough medicine. Over-the-counter cough medicines help in two ways:
   • Expectorant drugs such as ACC, Fluimucil help to soften mucus and phlegm in the throat and respiratory tract.
   • Cough suppressants, such as Falimint, Stoptussin, block the cough reflex and reduce the urge to cough.
   • You can also take regular cough syrup before bed, or apply Dr. Mom ointment to your chest. Both medications are known to help relieve nighttime coughs.
   • Read the instructions before using any medicine. If you are not sure which type of over-the-counter cough medicine is right for you, ask your pharmacist, or rather, your doctor.
2. 2 Use cough drops. Some lozenges use a local anesthetic, such as benzocaine, which can soothe a cough long enough for you to fall asleep.
3. 3 Talk to your doctor if your cough persists within seven days. If your nighttime cough gets worse after treatment, medication, or hasn't gone away after seven days, see your doctor. A nocturnal cough can be a symptom of other diseases and infections: colds, bronchitis, whooping cough, and pneumonia. If you have a high fever and a chronic nocturnal cough, see your doctor as soon as possible.
   • The doctor will first assess your physical condition and take a history. He may send you for a chest x-ray to see if there is any abnormality. You may also need to be screened for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and asthma. This includes a lung function test and endoscopy.
   • Depending on the diagnosis, your doctor may prescribe a decongestant or more serious treatment. If a nighttime cough is caused by a pre-existing medical problem, such as asthma or frequent colds, talk to your doctor about specific medications you can take to treat the symptom.
   • Talk to your doctor if you are taking ACE inhibitors, as coughing can be a side effect of them. Instead of inhibitors, you may be prescribed AT1 receptor blockers, which have the same benefits without the side effect of coughing.
   • Sometimes a cough, especially if it is frequent and chronic, can be a symptom of a more serious medical condition, such as heart disease and lung cancer. However, these conditions are usually accompanied by other severe symptoms, such as coughing up blood or current heart problems.

Method 3 of 3: Use natural remedies

1. 1 Eat a spoonful of honey before bed. Honey is an excellent natural remedy for sore throats as it coats and soothes the mucous membranes in the throat. Honey also has antibacterial properties thanks to an enzyme produced by bees. Accordingly, if your cough is caused by a bacterial disease, honey can help fight harmful bacteria.
   • Eat organic raw honey 1 tablespoon 1-3 times daily and before bed. Alternatively, you can dissolve the honey in a cup of hot lemon water and drink it before bed.
   • Give children 1 teaspoon of honey 1-3 times a day and before bed.
   • Never give honey to children under 2 years of age due to the risk of botulism, a bacterial infection.
2. 2 Drink licorice root tea. Licorice root is a natural decongestant. It soothes irritated airways and softens mucus in the throat. It also soothes any sore throat.
   • Look for dried licorice root at your local health food store. You can also buy packaged licorice root from the tea section of most grocery stores.
   • Immerse licorice root in hot water for 10-15 minutes, or as directed on the package. Cover the tea with something to trap the vapors and oils in the tea. Drink tea 1-2 times a day and before bed.
   • If you are on steroids or have kidney problems, do not use licorice root.
3. 3 Gargle with saline. The saline solution will help relieve sore throat and mucus. If you have sputum congestion and a cough, gargling with saline will help remove the phlegm from your throat.
   • Stir 1 teaspoon of salt in 250 ml of warm water until it dissolves.
   • Gargle with the solution for 15 seconds, being careful not to swallow a drop.
   • Spit the water out into the sink and gargle again.
   • Rinse your mouth with plain water when you're done rinsing.
4. 4 Breathe over the steam infused with natural oils. Breathing over steam is a great way to absorb moisture through your nasal passages and prevent dry coughs. Essential oils such as tea tree and eucalyptus oils also have antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
   • Boil enough water to fill a medium heat-resistant bowl. Pour the water into a bowl and let cool for 30-60 seconds.
   • Add three drops of tea tree oil and 1-2 drops of eucalyptus oil to a bowl of water. Stir the water in a quick motion to release the vapors.
   • Lean over the bowl and try to be as close as possible over the steam. But not too close so that the steam does not burn the skin. Cover your head with a clean towel as a blanket to keep the steam from escaping. Breathe deeply for 5-10 minutes. Try breathing over steam with essential oils 2-3 times a day.
   • You can also rub essential oils on yourself or your baby on your chest to get rid of a nocturnal cough. Always mix essential oils in organic olive oil before applying it to your skin, as essential oils should not be applied directly to the skin. Rubbing your breasts with essential oils works in the same way as warming ointments, but they are natural and do not contain petroleum-based chemicals. If you are going to apply them to children under 10 years old, then first read the instructions for use.