To stop coughing during the night and therefore sleep better, you can apply these nine recommendations.
- 9 tips to help you suffer less from coughing during the night and therefore sleep better.
- Among these, there is the use of an air purifier or humidifier, a salt air vaporizer or even drinking hot drinks with a little honey.
- Finally, the way you sleep is also very important: raising your head seems to be the best position and it is better to lie on your side to reduce irritation and facilitate post-nasal drip.
It is a natural defense reflex of the body to expel mucus or irritating agents from the respiratory tract in the event of infection: cough. But when the cough is strong, it can prevent us from sleeping and therefore slow healing… What can we do to achieve better sleep? Elizabeth Rainbolt, GP, explains this in an article for the Cleveland Clinic.
A humidifier to fight coughs
To relieve a wet cough, that is to say one where the patient spits, Dr. Elisabeth Rainbolt recommends first of all to expel as much as you can during the day. That is to say, do not restrain yourself from spitting. If needed, you can take an expectorant. It is a bronchial thinner which allows the expulsion of secretions produced by the lower respiratory tract.
Then, for both dry and oily coughs, the doctor recommends using a cold mist air humidifier, preferably to be installed in your room. “Moisture in the air can help relieve both a dry and wet cough“, assures Elisabeth Rainbolt.
With the same objective: you can also take a hot shower before going to bed because it also allows you to breathe moist air and therefore clear the airways.
Drink hot liquids before sleeping
Some may already do it instinctively: drink hot liquids before sleeping. The ideal is to add a little honey to soothe the throat. Still on the drink side, also be sure to drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day, as hydration is very important for improving cough symptoms and healing.
For wet coughs, you can also try a saline nasal spray that thins secretions. Dr. Elisabeth Rainbolt also advises gargling with a mixture of fresh water and salt.
Lie on your side to sleep better
Another tip, and not only in case of coughing: ventilate the bedroom well, as this reduces the amount of dust present. For the same purpose, you can also use an air purifier that will reduce allergenic substances that irritate the throat and cause, in part, coughing.
On the medication side, cough drops can relieve you as well as, if you have no contraindications such as high blood pressure, cough suppressants for dry coughs. Nevertheless, the‘Health Insurance reminds that their effectiveness is not proven and that they have side effects that can be disturbing such as drowsiness.
Finally, the way you sleep is also very important. “Elevating the head is probably the best position, explains Dr. Elisabeth Rainbolt. This can help your cough by not letting too much drainage build up in the back of your throat.“And it’s better to lie on your side rather than on your back to reduce irritation and ease post-nasal drip. Last advice from Dr Elisabeth Rainbolt if the cough lasts too long: talk to your general practitioner.
