8 Killer Home Remedies for a Nighttime Cough

Coughing is an annoying sensation in the throat, which starts as a tickle and interrupts you from anything. It can give a hard time to our days as well as nights, which can turn to be sleepless nights. Rare coughing can help removing the germs from the lungs and relieve irritant and excess mucus from lungs. But when it occurs in the night it can become awful and interrupt a person from getting enough night’s rest. There are plenty of ways and treatments to calm down nighttime coughs. Sometimes over-the-counter (OTC) treatments work really well if those remedies don’t work well then, in that case, doctor’s prescribed cough medicine work wonders but makes you a bit drowsy.

Below Mentioned Are Some Of The Best Home Remedies For A Nighttime Cough:

1. Herbal Tea With Honey:

   Drinking herbal tea with honey is the most known and effective way to treat a cough. Making a habit to drink a cup of non-caffeine tea before bed will give benefits for the first time consumption. Chief medical officer of America lung association, Norman H. Edelman said, any warm liquid can help in breaking up the mucus in the airways. During the making of tea, add a little honey in the place of sugar.

2. Using Steam Accordingly:

   A dry airway is the major cause of a cough and steaming will help it to cut down a dry cough instantly. Taking a steamy shower or simply using a steam machine or humidifier before going to bed will give a huge relief to a cough during night time. But steaming must be avoided for the people who are fighting against asthma as steam can make asthma even worse.

3. Sleeping on an Incline:

   Sleeping posture can surprisingly help against a nighttime cough. When you face dry coughs and wet coughs gravity becomes our enemy. During the daytime our postnasal drainage and mucus we swallow down backs up and irritates the throat when we lay down. To avoid the situation prop yourself up on 2 to 3 pillows. Another simple way is to stick wooden blocks under the head section of the bed which will help to keep acids down in the stomach and avoid acid reflux.

4. Keep the Room Clean:

   Make sure you keep your bedding clean before lying on the bed. It is more important for those people who are prone to allergies and dust. A major allergy trigger found on the bedding is “Dust Mites”. Dust Mites or pet dander are the tiny creatures that eat lurk and dead body flakes of our skin.

   • It is recommended to wash the bedding in hot water every week.
   • Use allergy covers for your mattresses, pillowcases, duvets, and box springs to prevent pet dander.
   • If you have pets in your house, then keep them away from your bedroom.
   • Vacuum the carpets of the room by HEPA vacuum can help in making the room anti-dust.
   • Running a HEPA air filter is also a way to remove common allergy particles.

5. Take Care of Your Cold:

   Cold is the most common way to catch a cough and make it worst at night. In this case, the only way to get rid of a cough is to beat the cold. During cold one should take a proper rest, have chicken soup (for non-vegans), fluids and wait for some time to reduce severe cold. If a cough is still not getting well then the person needs to be treated with cough medicine. Using a decongestant spray instantly reduce the postnasal drip. Decongestants can be only used by adults and children older than six years.

6. Cure Asthma:

   People who have a problem with asthma may face nighttime cough time to time, in which their airways become inflamed and narrow. Using a prescribed asthma inhaler to treat asthma can also reduce coughing.

7. Quit Smoking:

   Smoking regularly for a long period may cause chronic coughing. So, the only option to kick out a cough is to quit smoking as soon as possible. Prescribing a doctor will help you get rid of that habit.

8. Kick-off The Cockroaches:

   This is the rarest reason for coughing problems. Some of the body parts of cockroach such as saliva and feces may cause allergy symptoms which include coughing.

   Cockroaches are also a common cause of asthma attack and it is proved by Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Cockroaches can be reduced by these simple home remedies:

   • Keep foods in a sealed and airtight container so it will not get in contact with cockroaches.
   • Keep the corners of the house clean and remove piles of waste papers and old newspapers which attracts dust and also give cockroaches a better place to hide.
   • Use exterminators which will not allow cockroaches to enter the house. These exterminators are easily available in the nearest stores.

   Here are some more ways to reduce a cough which can be caused by Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD):

   • Try to avoid foods which can produce acid reflux and makes GERD more severe. Some of the foods that can be avoided are chocolate, spicy food, high-fat foods, fried foods, citrus foods, garlic, peppermint, tomatoes and tomato-based products.
   • Don’t lie down instantly after having a meal. Try to make a gap of at least 2 hours between sleeping and eating.

   Those were the remedies for adults and children who get in contact with coughing. But these all remedies cannot experiment on toddlers. Here are some treatments for toddlers:

   • If the baby has a barking cough then it is recommended to take him to a steam-filled bathroom for at least 20 minutes. It will work as an over-the-counter treatment.
   • Give a vaporized steam in the baby’s room which helps reduce his coughing and also help in sleeping.
   • Do not give any kind of cough drops to a toddler because it works as a choking hazard for all the babies younger than 3 years old.

   In case of fever, vomiting, wheezing, fast breathing or any difficulty in breathing give your baby a medical treatment right away by consulting any child specialized doctor immediately.

Also Read:

• Whooping Cough or Pertussis: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Complications
• Rib Pain Due to Coughing: Causes and Medical Management
• Abdominal Pain When Coughing
• Differentiating Dry Cough and Wet Cough Based on Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
• What Causes Chronic Cough, Treatment & Home Remedies to Get Rid of it
• Cough Headache: Why Does Coughing Cause Headache?
• 30 Foods and Remedies to Keep Cough and Cold at Bay
• What Causes Persistent Cough & How to Get Rid of it?
• Best Home Remedies for Productive Cough