Blocked nose at night

[Carmel99]

Does anyone have any advice on helping a baby with a blocked nose from a cold to breathe better at night? Has anone found saline nasal drops to be helpful?

[flibberdyjibbert]

Find the calpol saline spray really good (can use from birth, better than drops IMO) & lots of Karvol (from 3 months) & books at the head-end of the cot - we're sharing a bedroom with a mini Darth Vader at the moment so I share your pain. You can get nasal aspirators to suck out the snot, but I never really fancied that one

[mum2JRC]

Get them in a steamy bathroom. Has always helped my boys.
Baby Olbas oil is good too. Just leave a few drops on a hanky in their bedroom.

[sneezecakesmum]

Nasal aspirators are brilliant when used with the saline nose drops.!

All the above and I am considering getting a warm mist humidifier for the bedroom, otherwise wet towels, water etc near the radiators.

[Iwasthefourthwiseman]

I bought a humidifier yesterday & for the first time in a week dd2 didn't wake up at 4am!

[sneezecakesmum]

Which humidifier did you get Iwas I have been pondering for ages and we look to be heading for a nasty cold soon!

[Iwasthefourthwiseman]

Just the cheapest one in argos, it's a cool one rather than hot. Bit worried about making the house damp but will do anything to get dd to sleep!

[sneezecakesmum]

thanks - will have a look

[bessie26]

raise the head-end of the cot
saline drops
steamy bathroom
Olbas Oil - I put a few drops on a muslin tied to DD's bed.
our radiators are the type with flat tops, so I used to put a ramikin filled with water (& a few drops of Olbas Oil) on there to humidify the room a bit.

DD had an awful cold when she was about 4months old & we ended up letting her sleep in her bouncy chair for a few nights!

[bessie26]

oh, and a kind of vicks-type chest rub, but for babies (can't think of the name right now, but am sure your pharmacist will know) - I read somewhere you should put it on the soles of their feet too!

[Bumpsadaisie]

Vicks chest rub can be used from 6 months - worked well for my DD (chest and back).

Too well actually, now she insists on it every night!

Nasal aspirators (or "snot suckers" as we call them) also good, esp if you flush it out with saline drops beforehand .. Though you may have to be cunning in persuading baby to submit to snot sucking (depending on age!). With my DD always have to let her try to do it herself before going in for the kill myself ...

[bessie26]

Snufflebabe!

[Unwind]

Years ago, I remember an MN thread where sucking it out was advocated as best


I've not tried it myself, but it makes sense

[Elibean]

Humidifier, if you can possibly buy/borrow one! Worked wonders for dd2, for whom a blocked nose just added to other breathing restrictions - honestly was by far the most effective. If you can't lay your hands on one, you can put wet, wrung out towels on radiators (if you have them). You could add a few drops of junior olbas oil to the water, too.