Rest is one of the most important ways your body fights off infections, according to the Mayo Clinic. Ironically, getting enough rest can also be the hardest thing to accomplish. You know the scenario: You lie down after a long day of feeling lousy, only to find that you can’t stop coughing. Just when you need sleep the most, your cough symptoms get worse, leading to a night of tossing and turning. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2020 Sleep in America poll, Americans feel sleepy an average of three days a week, and 55 percent say it’s because they’re not sleeping well. If you fall into that category, it’s even more important that you resolve your night cough and get a good night’s rest. Gravity The number one factor that makes your cough worse at night is simple: gravity. Mitchell Blass, MD, a physician with Georgia Infectious Diseases, says, “When we lie down, mucus automatically begins to pool.” The best way to counteract this gravitational pull is elevation. “Sleep with a pillow propping you up a little,” Dr. Blass suggests. “It will help keep the mucus from collecting in the back of the throat.” A dry, indoor environment Dry air can aggravate an already irritated nose and throat, making your nighttime cough worse. To relieve a dry air cough, you can try a humidifier to put moisture back into the air and make it easier to breathe, but be sure to take proper care of the unit. “Humidifiers are not always safe,” warns Blass. “If the water you put in it isn’t sterile, you run the risk of cycling the germs back into the air or breeding other diseases.” The last thing people with a cold or flu want is to experience complications, says Blass. “Bacterial infections can set in. Many flu-related deaths are caused by pneumonia that hits after people think they’re over the flu.” To ensure you use a humidifier safely, be sure to carefully follow all the directions that come with it.
How to Manage a Nighttime Cough
Most coughs associated with colds and flu are beneficial for clearing congestion from your lungs and airways, according to the Mayo Clinic. But sleep is also important for getting well — and it’s no fun tossing and turning all night.
How to Help a Cough at Night: Try These Tips
When it seems like you just can’t get any sleep, here’s how to stop coughing at night:
Suck on a cough drop. Before you go to sleep, suck on a cough drop or hard candy to ease a dry cough (one that doesn’t produce mucus) and soothe your throat, advises the Mayo Clinic.Drink fluids. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids throughout the evening before bed — liquids help thin the mucus in your throat, and warm liquids are soothing, says the Mayo Clinic.Have some honey. Adding honey to warm liquids like water or tea or just taking a spoonful or two has been shown to have modest benefits in reducing cough, says Stephen Russell, MD, a physician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Medicine and an expert in upper respiratory infections. A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that honey had modest benefits in reducing nocturnal cough in children ages 2–18. Never give honey to children under age 1 though, says Dr. Russell, because in rare cases it can cause infant botulism.Try cough medicine. Nighttime cough medicines typically contain an antihistamine that makes you feel sleepy, explains Russell. “Benadryl does a great job stopping allergies and postnasal drip with the side effect that it makes you sleepy,” says Russell, adding that it dries up the nose and helps stop the cough. But Benadryl may have some side effects for people over age 65, such as reducing stability in the middle of the night, he notes. Because of the risks of Benadryl and other over-the-counter cough medicines — some of which have not been proven to be more effective than placebos — Russell advises exploring natural remedies first, then using cough medicines with caution.
RELATED: Home Remedies to Stop a Bad Cough
When to See a Doctor About Your Cough
Acute or short-lived coughs — which often follow an upper respiratory tract infection such as the common cold — usually go away on their own without treatment, according to an article published in Thorax. But if your cough persists for more than a week, you should call your doctor, says Russell. If your cough is caused by an infection, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic or antiviral medication, says the Cleveland Clinic. A longer-lasting (chronic) cough could be the result of another health condition, such as allergies, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), or chronic sinusitis, according to the Mayo Clinic. Chronic bronchitis could also be the cause, according to the Cleveland Clinic, so make an appointment to see your doctor if your cough doesn’t get better. Additional reporting by Jennifer D’Angelo Friedman.
