Help a child with productive cough sleep

[Tartanstockings]

Posting here for traffic.

My 4 year old DS has a very productive cough and snotty nose.
Its obviously very loose (the mucous) so he’s coughing a lot to get rid of it. He’s had similar before, he’s quite prone to them as he had broncholitis as a baby and I think he may have enlarged adenoids.

Anyway, the poor thing is trying to sleep tonight and is coughing crap up every 5 mins. He’s full of snot too.
I put vicks on his back and chest before bed, I also have a cool mist humidifier running in the bedroom he’s in, although I’m not sure if it’s making any difference.

He’s going to be exhausted tomorrow as he’s not able to get any deep sleep due to the cough/snotty nose.
I think it’s a post nasal drip issue too as he doesn’t yet blow his nose properly when I try to clear it. He can’t seem to get the hang of it.

Any tips would be great as he obviously needs sleep to get over this virus (whatever it is) but he can’t get a decent rest because of the productive phlegmy coughing/snotty nose situation.

I didn’t mean to enable voting, so just ignore that.

Also his coughs always follow the same pattern. Start off croup and tight, like a barking cough with a slight temp and lethargy, sometimes losing his voice slightly.
Then turns to loose and productive and the temperature goes away and he is basically back to his usual self. We’re at that stage currently.

Hi,
My dd had a cough for a few months that just wouldn't budge. We tried steaming every evening and it helped a lot. She was 3 or 4 at the time. Vicks or olbas oil in a bowl with hot water and then head covered with a blanket or towel for a few minutes. I would sit with her in my lap and keep her hands still.

Run a very hot shower with doors and windows closed and just sit in the steam with him on your lap for a bit before bed. Then really try and get him to blow - we used to have a game of seeing how loud he could be from his nose. If the neighbors heard him he won! Plus lots and lots of water in the day. Warm drinks like warm weak ribean help.

Sympathies. It's awful when they cough all night

Thanks for your replies.

Should I leave the cool mist humidifier running tonight or not? It’s not warm , but cool.

Oh also I remembered - raw onion in his socks at night! This is a desperate act but I think it helps a bit

Have you tried giving him chocolate? Not just a cube , a small snack size bar.

Poor kid, it's horrible! Is he laying flat or have you raised his head up a bit? I always found laying flat with a snotty nose was awful and kept me awake.

Hi OP, mine gets a cough similar to this and we do the warm bath, olbas, Vicks, nose blow etc but she also usually comes in with me for a night or two and has lots of cuddles, keeps warm in our duvet and keeps her head propped up on my arm. When her cough is really bad I just pop my hand gently on some acupuncture pressure points on her back and chest. I often find a press around the mid sternum can help slightly relieve things. Once she gets into a deep sleep it is much easier for her and we both nod off. Really hard one! Good luck.

Thanks, yes he’s laying flat, if he wakes up again in a moment then I’ll prop him up. Might have him in with us then he can sit up a bit while sleeping.

I’m not sure whether to leave the cool mist humidifier running or not tonight, what does everyone think?

Have you tried the Vicks on the soles of the feet. I was sceptical but it really worked for DH.

YABU

Yes I’d leave the cool mist humidifier on all night. With my daughter I can tell when it runs out in the middle of the night as the cough gets worse so I think it does help, hopefully It is helping a bit. Hope he feels better soon.

My toddler (19 months) has this. Its so horrible listening to his little body wracked by coughs every night.

Following for advice.

Yes for the cool mist.

Prop him up with towels under the mattress. DS 2 always takes forever to get rid of cough and we find this helps. Plus make sure a window is open. That was a fairly new one for us from a Dr recently.

Yes to keeping the humidifier on - my little boy is only 1 but since starting nursery is constantly unwell! We always use a cold air humidifier for him and it really does help him.

I know you said you have a humidifier and lots have agreed with you about them, but it was a dehumidifier that stopped my 4yo GDs night coughs.

What is the temperature and humidity in the room?

Put pillows under the mattress to elevate them. I used to suffer a terrible chest and cough as a child and my mother used to do this. It made it easier to sleep in an elevated position without pillows moving about underneath me when trying to sleep