Cough At Night: Treatment Methods To Relieve Cough
Coughing at night can be really annoying. If your child also has trouble breathing and sleeping, contact your pediatrician. It is also important to remove irritants such as cigarette smoke and household cleaners.
Coughing at night in children is very common. The baby may not cough during the day, but when night falls, a persistent cough will affect them, prevent them from falling asleep and may even make them vomit. This definitely puts the parents in a state of guard.
Cough is a physiological reflex and an involuntary body response. Through a violent exhalation, the body tries to release mucus, dirt and other particles from the airways.
A healthy school-age child without a history of respiratory infections can cough up to 34 times a day. However, coughing is one of the main reasons why parents take their children to pediatricians, even though it does not require medical treatment.
Why do we cough?
The cough receptors are located along the airways, from the larynx to the bronchi. They are stimulated by the presence of the following factors:
- Upper respiratory tract infections including rhinitis, rhinopharyngitis, laryngitis and common cold.
- Bronchial hyperactivity.
- Asthma and allergies.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
During the day, many children cough occasionally, but can not stop coughing when they go to bed. This is because the baby is standing upright and moving during the day, which means that their mucus is also moving. But when they lie down, their airways become more congested because mucus does not move as much.
Congestion and posture dry out mucus and airways and therefore they can not stop coughing.
How to treat cough at night in children
Coughing at night in children can be very disturbing when it lasts for a really long time as it may indicate a more serious condition. It affects sleep and daily activities in a negative way and affects the quality of life of the child and their parents.
It can be treated at home with these recommendations:
Avoid an overly dry environment
It is necessary to provide moisture to the child’s room. Humidifiers are very useful, but they need to be cleaned thoroughly. If you use heating, make sure it is not too high and also place a water tank over the radiator to provide moisture to the air.
Help dilute the mucus
To dilute the mucus so that it can be expelled more easily, it is important to keep your baby hydrated. This is as simple as making sure they drink plenty of water. You can also give them coconut water or fruit juice.
Try to help them sleep in a half-sitting position
The horizontal sleeping position worsens cough in children at night, try to get them to sleep a little upright. Lift the head of the bed a little or put some pillows under them and in the back.
Improve breathing through the nose
If they have thick mucus, try saline solutions that can be found in syringes or drops. They are unpleasant for children, but are very effective.
You can also massage the baby’s breast ( as long as they are older than two years ) with a mixture of essential oils:
Ingredients
- 2 drops of essential eucalyptus oil
- 10 drops of essential incense oil
- 100 ml sweet almond oil
Course of action
- Mix all oils well in a container.
- Drizzle a little bit of oil on your hands and massage your baby’s breast to relieve their congestion.
Relieve dryness in the throat
It has been proven that honey relieves dry cough. You can give your child a teaspoon of honey before bed or when they start coughing. You can also dilute it in warm milk.
Another home remedy for cough is to cut a garlic or red onion, and pour a little honey on top of it. Honey will dilute after a few minutes. You can give your child this “syrup” every day.
Onions: An ancient remedy for coughing at night
A very effective way to improve cough in children is by placing a chopped onion next to their bed. This ancient remedy is effective because onions are rich in polyphenols, natural antihistamines, which relieve allergy symptoms and reduce respiratory inflammation.
If you add some sugar to the onion, the aroma will fill the whole room and your child will stop coughing.
Avoid self-medication to treat cough at night
In general , cough in children does not require medication of any kind. If in doubt, consult your pediatrician.
Conclusion
It is very common for children to start coughing at night due to respiratory infections when starting day care or daycare. According to doctors, a cough is considered chronic if it lasts for more than four weeks.
If your child also has trouble breathing and sleeping, contact your pediatrician. It is also important to remove irritants such as cigarette smoke and household cleaners.
