Please share any tips you have for night time coughing

[fluffacloud]

DD1 (2.8) is just getting over her first cold of the season but it always goes to her chest.

The poor thing has been coughing away since she went to bed and if history is anything to go by this will carry on for 5-7 days. I can usually handle the jumping out of bed to comfort her every 20 mins but DD2 has arrived and still waking regularly to nurse.

I'm hoping MN collective knowledge will come up with something that will ease her cough a little. To prevent drip feeding we have tried:

Calcough
Having her window open
Plug in decongestant
Dummies

With the exeption of the plug in, these help a little. Occasionally she coughs so much that she's sick. I have taken her to see the GP before but as its not an infection theres nothing he can offer to help.

So, oh wise MN'ers please impart your wisdom ona very tired mum

Rub Vicks on the sole of feet then put socks on over them!

can you put a couple more pillows under her so she is nearly sitting up?

I always use a plug in decongestant and put some olbas oil under their pillow.. i also find tyxilix nighttime to be better than calcough.

Has your GP ruled out asthma as DS has an inhaler that he only uses when he has a cold as it always goes onto his chest.

Could it be the cold air that's making her cough? I think it irritates the lungs.
What us she like if you have the window closed?
Is there something like Night Nurse for kids? Night Nurse knocks my teenagers out completely when they have a cough and cold.

ds used to do this. I used Karvel (sp?) the brown capsule full of liquid. Cut top off and squirt on top of pj under chin. It is a decongestant. Seems ot work better than vicks.

and - don't laugh - came across this one. Put lots of vicks on the soles of their feet, put socks on at bed time. It apparently absorbs better than on chest and helps.

My friends dd has persistant cough, they use teaspoon of runny honey, very effective.

x posts dotty dot! can't believe someone else has heard of the vicks feet trick!!!

seriously though, the karvel does work (so does the vicks)

and ds grew out of it. Now a cold is just a cold.

. Yes we also sprinkle olbas oil liberally around ds's pillow. Plus more Vicks in his chest and back.

I feel your pain OP!

dotty I came on here to say the Vicks thing too!! Tis fabulous

Thank you all for your replies!

I was flinging Karvol around the place while she was blocked up, but stopped when the cold tailed off. I shall invest in another bottle.

I keep her window open as I always thought that it prevented the air getting too dry, will experiment this evening.

Our GP did offer us some inhalers when she was about 14 months but we really didnt think that they made any difference so stopped using them. That and I hated how distressed she got when we tried to put the spacer near her face.

I hadnt considered more pillows as shes such a wiggler at night - do you think that placing pillows under her mattress would help?

The feet method is brilliant! We havent been able to use vicks on her directly as she has such sensitive skin but I think that we'get away with it on her feet

If you have anymore, keep them coming, we're going to have plenty of time to test them over the next 6 months or so - fingers crossed that she will grow out of it!

the other thing which helps is a hot drink - apparently having a hot drink is just as effective at stoping coughs as cough medicine! So a hot vimto/milk drink just before bed? Although might lead to nighttime wees...

But when I've got a cough at night I always get up and make a really hot coffee - stops it straight away

you could try putting the pillows under the mattress - pretty sure we used to do that

When dd has a cough, I bath her, and have some really hot water in the sink so she breathes in some warm steam. Try warm juice, and don't let her get too warm in bed.
I still have dd's cellular cot blankets, and add them as needed.

Sometimes, Olbas oil or other decongestant, like the plug in, can iritate more, so maybe try none for a night to see?

If you don't see any improvement, please take her back to the GP. We had this for years with dd, until she was finally diagnosed with asthma earlier this year. The inhalers have made a massive difference.

Hope she has a better night. (smile)

it might be worth going back to the inhalers, make it in to a game ask for a mask with a animal on, they do have child friendly ones to help with this issue.

coughing until being sick and loosing so much sleep wont be helping the healing process iyswim.

Honey and lemon before bed and maybe again in the night if she has a really bad coughing fit

I've heard of the Vicks on feet thing-tried it last night but forgot socks so will try again tonight!

We've found a humidifier (cheapo one from argos) helps,I turn it on full blast 30min before bed,then have it on low until we go to bed,then turn it off. We used to leave it on all night but noticed a small spot of mould appearing.

Good luck!

A thermosflask with warm chamomile tea. Give little sips.

To hear the coughing is awful, but it may be serving a purpose so it is important not to suppress it.

Clearing the nose with salt water spray (sterimar or something like it) before going to sleep may also help (coughing may be caused by post nasal drip).

Of course make sure she has a raised pillow/slightly tilted bed.

She is probably too young for decongestants, like Sudafed, Otrivin drops etc. unless prescribed by a paediatrician.

Hope she gets better soon.

Humidifier, carvol, brown inhaler, blue inhaler, we have been to hospital many times with our dd, feel your pain!