Cough, which cleans the substances coming from the outside and expels the mucus and harmful substances, has a sudden and explosive feature. A very high velocity and short-term airflow occurs during coughing. At the same time, cough can develop due to many different ailments. In some cases, a cough that occurs only at night is expressed as a nocturnal cough. The cough, which starts with a tickling or itching sensation in the throat at night, can be severe enough to cause the person to have sleep problems.
What causes night cough?
Nocturnal cough is a type of cough that usually starts suddenly when the person goes to bed. Cough helps to expel harmful microorganisms and foreign substances in the respiratory tract. The natural defense mechanism of coughing can be so severe that it interferes with the person’s ability to sleep. The most basic way to get rid of night cough is to understand what the source of this situation is. Night cough can be caused by a viral infection, health problems such as reflux, postnasal drip, asthma.
Why does cough increase at night?
Night cough can be one of the first symptoms of various diseases. Nocturnal coughing attacks can have a variety of causes. Viral infections such as the flu and the common cold are the most common causes of coughing attacks. When these infections irritate the upper respiratory tract, the damage can take time to heal. Since the respiratory tract has a sensitive structure, coughing attacks may occur, especially at night, due to a dry throat. It is a condition that causes swelling and narrowing of the respiratory tract, making it difficult to breathe. Coughing attacks at night and in the morning are the most common symptoms of asthma. In addition, complaints such as shortness of breath, chest pain and wheezing are also seen.
Irritation of stomach acid to the esophagus and throat can cause coughing. Reflux also causes hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, and chronic sore throat. The nasal discharge, which is experienced as a result of sinus inflammation, triggers cough, especially at night, when the mucus moves into the throat. Postnasal drip can also develop against colds, allergies and flu. Allergens such as mites, pollen, cigarette smoke, mold and pet dander cause a reaction in the immune system, resulting in flu-like symptoms. Runny nose, difficulty breathing and allergic cough attack are a few of them.
“What causes a dry cough at night?” We can give the following answer to the question: The causes of dry cough that starts at night can be very diverse. Some of the main causes of this condition, which is also expressed as a nocturnal cough crisis, are observed as reflux and postnasal drip. In addition to these, nocturnal cough may occur in cases such as dry ambient air and allergies. Some diseases can occur at night cough. However, in general, nocturnal coughing attacks can be prevented by taking some precautions. Measures such as sleeping with high or double pillows to keep the head high, going to bed after drinking water and ventilating the environment before sleep can help the coughing attack pass.
What cuts a night cough?
In order to be able to stop coughing at night, it is recommended that the person first have health checks. In order to prevent night cough, appropriate treatment should be applied to the presence of the underlying disease. If there is no problem in the general health of the person, humidification of the environment can be achieved by using humidifiers in the bedroom. Apart from that, the following can be done:
- Dust formation in the bedroom should be prevented.
- Linens need to be changed frequently.
- Not keeping fluffy items such as carpets in the bedroom or cleaning them regularly.
- It may be good to change mattresses and pillows frequently.
- Quitting smoking is also effective in preventing nocturnal cough attacks in adults.
I can’t sleep at night because of coughing, what should I do?
Coughing is a protective action that helps clear irritating formations in the airways. Cough attacks that start when lying down can usually occur in the respiratory tract when they are stimulated by infections, allergens and other irritants. To get rid of cough at night, you can consume herbal teas that will prevent tickling without sleeping. By combining foods such as linden, honey and lemon, you can consume both delicious and preventive teas.
Since cough is a symptom that occurs with diseases in the throat, it is necessary to consult with otolaryngologists. If a prolonged coughing attack is accompanied by shortness of breath, fever and unexpected weight loss, a specialist should be consulted. Depending on the development of the disease, different treatment methods are recommended by specialist doctors. Doctors who specialize in the treatment of nighttime coughs caused by nasal discharge may also recommend antibiotics. Throat lozenge is also one of the solutions recommended by doctors. However, all these solutions should definitely be under the control of a doctor and nothing that is not recommended by doctors should be used.
What to do with a child coughing while sleeping?
Allergies, flu infections and post-nasal drip trigger night cough in children in general. Coughing attacks in children can also be caused by asthma. It is known that children with gastric reflux have an increased tendency to cough when lying down. One of the causes of coughing crisis is upper respiratory tract infection disease. Children with upper respiratory tract infections may have a wheezing cough during sleep. Warm water, honey or linden can alleviate these problems.
How to lie down while coughing?
There are some methods that relieve a nocturnal coughing attack in adults and children as well. In general, it is useful to use high or double pillows while sleeping to prevent night coughs caused by reflux. Since dry air irritates the airway, increasing the humidity of the environment before going to bed may help. Drinking herbal teas and honey before going to bed helps to relax the stiffness in the throat.
Honey is effective in reducing nighttime cough in children. In order to reduce nighttime coughs caused by reflux, it is useful to eat at least 2-3 hours before bedtime. Drinking plenty of fluids helps moisten the throat. Drinking at least two liters of water a day, consuming herbal teas or warm water with lemon is also helpful. Using throat lozenges before sleep helps relieve cough by reducing irritation in the throat.