Coughing fits can happen at any time, but some experience night coughs for an extended period, and that prevents them from getting a sound, restful sleep. Coughing at night can be caused by a variety of things, including your sleeping position, your surroundings, and some prescription medicines. But don’t worry, there are many methods that will give you quick relief from cough, and when followed correctly, they will help you get a restful sleep.  

What is Night Cough? 

Some people don’t experience coughing during the day, and yet, when they go to bed, the coughing starts. This problem is called night cough, and quick relief from cough is necessary in this case to get proper sleep. Common reasons behind coughing include GERD (gastric reflux disease), allergies, and other illnesses that irritate the lungs and throat. Some of these disorders can cause mucus and other irritants to accumulate in the back of your throat when you lie down, which leads to coughing. However, coughing at night can also happen because of other conditions, so, let’s take a look at them.  

• Environmental factors: Your coughing fits during the night may be caused by your surroundings, and dry air in your bedroom might naturally make you want to cough by causing itchiness in the throat and airway irritation. 
• Respiratory issues: Coughing at night can be brought on by lung-related disorders such as pneumonia, whooping cough, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In asthmatic cases, air irritants may be the source of your cough, but in COPD cases, mucus may be the cause.
• Acid reflux: Acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), two disorders that affect the throat, can be the cause of a dry cough at night. When you lie down on your bed, the body position increases the risk of acid reflux, which can cause coughing fits. Controlling acid reflux can provide quick relief from cough. 
• Medications: Coughing at night is one of the asthma symptoms that some drugs, including beta-blockers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) inhibitors, might aggravate.  
• Postnasal drip: When you have a cold or the flu, mucus from your nose runs down to your throat when you lie down, and that might trigger your coughing reflex. 
• Sleeping position: Your sleeping posture may also contribute to an exacerbation of your cough during the night. Lying on your back in the supine posture might stop your body's ability to clear your airways, which results in coughing.  

Follow these Simple Tips to Stop Night Coughs and Get a Good Night’s Sleep 

If you suffer from night coughs that stop you from getting proper sleep, you will become agitated and fatigued due to lack of rest. However, there are simple methods that can provide you a quick relief from cough, and help you get the rest that you need to function.  

1. Use an Expectorant

If you have a wet cough, it can be helpful to remove some of that phlegm or mucus with the use of an expectorant to get quick relief from cough. Expectorants, such as guaifenesin, thins mucus, which facilitates easy removal of phlegm and mucus from your throat by coughing.

2. Try Cough Drops 

For dry or tickling coughs, try using cough drops, but remember it's best to use them sparingly. According to one research, taking cough drops too frequently can make coughing worse, so limit your cough drop intake.

3. Install a Humidifier in Your Bedroom 

Try using a humidifier in your bedroom at night because the presence of moisture in the air can aid in the relief of both wet and dry coughs. The ideal humidity range for any space is between 40% and 50%, and maintaining that balance may give you quick relief from cough.

4. Take OTC Medications

Using over-the-counter medications can help you get quick relief from cough because medicines such as cough suppressants help thin up mucus and prevent you from coughing. If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, see a healthcare professional before using decongestants because some of these medications have the potential to raise your blood pressure.

Using a nasal saline spray, a solution of salt and water might also help dilute any secretions. You can use a teaspoon of salt and a glass of warm water to make saltwater and gargle with it to clear your throat before bedtime. 

5. Drink Warm Water Before Bed

Drinking a cup of warm water might help release mucus, and you can clear your throat this way before going to bed to get quick relief from cough. Mucus can also be thinned out by just drinking water throughout the day and keeping yourself hydrated so that night coughs get reduced.

6. Change Your Sleeping Position 

If you have a night cough, your sleep position can matter greatly because a supine position often causes throat irritation in some people suffering from GERD. Sleeping in a semi-prone position with pillows supporting your chest so that your head and chest are not at the same level may lessen the coughing by avoiding mucus accumulation in your throat. Sleeping on the side is also beneficial for people who have GERD, COPD, and asthma.  

7. Eat a Spoonful of Honey 

Eating one tablespoon of honey before bedtime may help loosen mucus in your throat and stop throat irritation while you sleep. Another choice is to add two tablespoons of honey to your tea and drink it before going to bed for quick relief from cough.  

8. Drink Lemon Juice

Lemon juice has the ability to reduce inflammation, and mixing a small amount of lemon juice with warm water and drinking it before bed may help ease night cough. As an alternative, mix other beneficial elements, such as ginger, with lemon juice to make a tasty drink. 

9. Take a Hot Shower

If you have a constant night cough, sometimes taking a hot shower before bed helps with quick relief from cough because a shower removes all the dirt from your body, and you go to bed completely fresh. 

10. Stop Smoking

Giving up smoking may help lessen night coughing, and studies have indicated that those who smoke cigarettes have a higher likelihood of persistent coughing compared to those who don’t smoke. After you stop smoking, you may see positive results in just a week.  

Final Remarks

In most cases, a lot of factors that trigger a cough during the day might also trigger one at night. However, your sleeping posture, the air quality in your bedroom, and the exposure to dust from your bedding can also be the reason for night cough. Whatever the reason, there are a number of methods, including at-home treatments, that can give you quick relief from cough at night so that you can sleep peacefully.

These methods include elevating your head with pillows, purchasing a humidifier, regularly cleaning your bedding, and taking over-the-counter medicines. However, you should contact a doctor if your coughing is chronic and you experience chest pain, breathing difficulties, fever, and night sweats in addition to coughing problems.