Sleeping when you have a persistent cough can feel like an impossible task, especially for little bodies. If your child is waking up tired and grumpy due to a persistent cough through the night, it is important to do what you can to make him or her feel better. The first step is to determine if it is a wet versus dry cough, which will help you decide which treatment methods will work the best.
Cold and Cough Medication
The first step to making your child feel better so he or she can sleep through the night is to provide the right kind of cold and cough medicine. Brillia Health cough control is a common choice among parents. Cold and cough medication can ease symptoms throughout the night to ensure that your child gets a good night’s sleep.
Hot Shower Before Bed
Taking a hot shower before bed is another good way to help your child sleep better when he or she has a cough. The steam from the shower helps to loosen up any mucus and creates more productive coughing before bedtime. There are also packets that you can place in the shower that include eucalyptus and other ingredients that can help ease the coughing.
Cool-Mist Humidifier
Sometimes, a child’s cough is a dry cough caused by how warm and dry the air in a room is. A cool-mist humidifier will release cooler, moister air into the room during the night. This may ease your child’s dry cough and allow him or her to sleep more peacefully.
Nasal Drops
If your child has the sniffles along with his or her cough, nasal drops may be a solution. Purchasable at a pharmacy, you can use them along with blowing the nose to help soften and remove mucus. To administer them safely, it’s important to follow the instructions on the bottle. Saline drops before bed or in the middle of the night is a good idea.
Fluids
Dehydration is sometimes an underlying cause of a cough. Staying hydrated is especially important if your child is sick, as water helps the body to fight off illness and helps to keep the airways moist. Typically, a child needs 8 ounces of water per year of life per day. This means that an 8-year-old child needs at least eight servings of water each day to stay well hydrated. If your child isn’t drinking anything else during the day or isn’t eating well, more water may be necessary. Products like Pedialyte or popsicles can also help.
There is no easy answer to “why am I coughing a lot?”, but there are ways to ease the problem throughout the night. Keeping your child hydrated, providing warm baths, and offering over-the-counter medication are often enough. However, if your child’s cough is persistent and lasts more than a week, it is a good idea to see a pediatrician. He or she may be able to find an underlying cause, such as an illness that requires a prescription to be treated.
