#Nocturnal cough skin#

Dust mites - tiny creatures that eat dead flakes of skin and lurk in bedding - are a common allergy trigger. If you have a cough and are prone to allergies, focus on your bed. Continually coughing irritates your airways, which can make your nighttime problem last longer. The sooner you can stop a coughing fit, the better. In case you start coughing in the night, have everything you need by your bed - a glass of water, cough medicine or drops, and anything else that seems to help. To measure humidity, pick up an inexpensive device - a hygrometer - at your hardware store. Edelman suggests that you keep humidity levels at 40% to 50%. Dust mites and mold - both common allergens - thrive in damp air. But too much moisture in your bedroom can keep you coughing, too. Humidifiers can help coughs if the air is dry. If you are concerned that your child may have asthma, see your GP for an examination and more information. Many children with asthma also suffer from allergies and eczema. Usually, children with asthma will have other symptoms as well, such as wheeze and difficulty breathing. Nocturnal cough is associated with heart failure, as the heart does not. A child who has a persistent cough at night might have asthma. Edelman has one caution: 'If you have asthma, steam can actually make a cough worse.' A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages that can help. You may find relief from taking a shower or bath before bed - or just sitting in a steamy bathroom. Of course, you'll have to get your partner's OK first. With that angle, you might keep acids down in your stomach where they won't irritate your throat. Try to defy gravity by propping yourself up on some pillows while you sleep.Īnother trick for people with acid reflux is to stick wooden blocks under the head of the bed to raise it 4 inches. All the postnasal drainage and mucus you swallow during the day backs up and irritates your throat when you lay down at night. When it comes to nighttime cough, gravity is your enemy.

Edelman, MD, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. 'Any warm liquid can help break up mucus in your airways,' says Norman H.

Get into the habit of having a mug of non-caffeinated tea before bed. The key is to soothe your ticklish throat and over-sensitive airways before you go to bed.ĭrink herbal tea with honey.