How to stop coughing at night

You know how annoying a cough can be, no matter whether the cause is a cold, allergies, or something else entirely. Often, you will find that a cold feels better during the day but keeps you awake all night long. This can impact your overall quality of life and make you feel even worse than before. Here, we will take a look at how to stop coughing at night, and see how our convenient online prescriptions Camberley, Farnborough and Frimley residents rely on could help you.

Why do coughs get worse at night?

Before discovering how to stop coughing at night, you might be wondering why exactly your cough feels worse as you start to turn in for the evening. The truth is that many common ailments may feel worse at night. This isn’t something you’re imagining – it has to do with both the natural rhythms of your body and how much you have done during the day while already unwell.

However, when it comes to a cough, there are other factors at play. If you have a cold or allergies, you might be suffering from post nasal drip, which happens when you lie down. The conditions of your bedroom might also contribute, such as if the air is too warm and dry. It is important to find the cause of your cough so that you can adequately treat it.

So how can you take care of that troublesome nighttime cough and get a decent night’s sleep?

Consider allergens

Think about your bedroom if you are suffering from a cough that seems to have no obvious cause. Allergies can be hard to pin down, and if your bedroom is dusty or not cleaned on a weekly basis, then this might be causing a cough. Pet fur can contribute, too, as can mould. Keeping your bedroom relatively allergen-free can be as easy as dusting, vacuuming, washing your bedding regularly, and keeping windows closed to stop pollen from drifting inside as you rest. You may also want to consider washing and removing outside clothes before you go into your bedroom at night so that you don’t accidentally transport allergens into your sleeping space with you.

Combat dry air

Dry air can be the cause of many different issues – from itchy and irritated skin to a cough that won’t stop. This becomes worse in the winter, when you may have your central heating on, drying out the air around you. Dry air can also be caused by fans or air conditioning units running during the summer months. For this reason, a humidifier is a fantastic all-around investment for your home, and especially for your bedroom. A humidifier can add moisture to the air, creating better sleeping conditions for those with a nagging cough – however, too much moisture might contribute to mould growth, so make sure that your bedroom is not too humid and check for signs of mould regularly.

Think about digestion

Did you know that one of the main causes of coughing can be your digestion? If you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD, also known as acid reflux), this causes acid to come up your throat. You might not notice GERD during the day, but this irritation to your throat and oesophagus becomes worse when you lie down. In order to manage this, you may require prescription medication, and to be careful of what and when you eat to manage your symptoms and calm that cough.

Create a bedtime routine

A bedtime routine that accounts for your cough can be essential. Before heading to bed, consider drinking some warm tea with honey to soothe the inflammation naturally. Remember, once you start coughing and irritating your throat it can be difficult to stop, so preparing for bed with a hot drink and potentially gargling with saltwater can cut down the chances of that initial cough becoming an issue that lasts for hours.

Sleep carefully

At night, you aren’t blowing your nose like you would during the day. This causes mucus to run down the back of your throat when you lie on your back, causing that nasty cough that stops you from sleeping. Some people with recurring coughs caused by long-term illness choose to sleep in an elevated position to reduce nighttime coughing. Elevating your head can help to stop secretions from collecting in your throat, giving you less chance of coughing all night long.

Cut our irritants

Are you a smoker? Perhaps this is an obvious way to reduce a nightly cough, but one important long-term life change is to give up smoking or to remove yourself from environments where others are smoking. Removing this from your life will slowly reduce your coughing. It won’t be an overnight fix, but it will curb that cough and also give you other amazing health benefits.

Try over-the-counter medication

If natural home remedies aren’t cutting it, you might want to consider talking to your doctor or pharmacist about medication that might help. Something as simple as a saline nasal spray could reduce irritation, while treating health concerns such as asthma can lower the levels of inflammation in your airways. If the cause of your cough is allergies, then some antihistamines could help – or cough suppressant medication can be a good way to ease a cough caused by infection or illness.