Dd can't stop coughing in her sleep

[1978andallthat]

Dd, nearly 2, is asleep. She has a bad cough that is worse in the early morning and at night. She doesn't have a temp and is fine in herself, just a bit snotty, so I am sure it's viral. But for that past few mornings she's coughed herself sick. This evening she's coughing loads in her sleep, waking herself up and then settling herself.

I am checking her often in case she throws up not least because she had a LOT of cake etc at a party today so throwing up not unlikely regardless of cake and also in case it is worse than I think, but any suggestions for how to make her more comfy? All things like steamy bathroom etc would obv wake her up. She resists a pillow at the moment saying no to it in her sleep.

What about ibuprofen? Last time she had a cough doc said that would reduce inflammation in her sleep. (am loathe to wake her up for this though, just if she wakes).

a towel under the head end of her matress ? raising her up a little seems the best idea

Bit late for tonight obv. but how about getting a humidifier, they are handy things to have.

Can you raise the top of the bed slightly by putting some blocks under the legs? My Mum used to do this with my bed when I was little using Yellow pages (they were a LOT thicker in them days) as I hated having a pillow.

That being said my 4yo DD has her bed tilted at the moment, is on 2 pillows. Has a humidifier on and is still coughing :(

If she wakes give her calpol/ibruprofen. Gp said to give ds piriton when ds was snotty as it helps to dry up mucus a bit. Cold care for adults has antihistamine in so guess it makes sense

Biazare but it works vicks decongestant on the soles of her feet. I have NO idea why it works but it just does!

Raising head of bed also help ease the nasal drip.

My dd does this, I put vicks on her feet, those capsules on her pillow and send her to bed with a sports bottle and get up a million times in the night to wake her up to drink it.

Xpost doris! It really does work.

My nearly 3yo DD is the same, phlegmy cough all night, she desperately wants to sleep but it keeps waking her. Poor lamb. I'm going to try raising one end of her bed.

I agree vicks on soles of feet, I read it on here & my 8 year old was but it really works. He did say "nothing you do surprises me Mummy" but he had to agree it works

Thanks all.

Hi quietlysuggests. She seems to have a cough for six weeks then a few weeks off then cough again. This has been going on since March. Several trips to GP and a course of antibiotics (just in case) but nothing helps. Had an inhaler but she refused to take it even with paediatric volumiser and she is on medication for an acute kidney problem so we have to pick our battles as is imperative she takes her kidney medicine. We also took her to a&e one day after a very long coughing fit - about an hour - and they gave her a comprehensive check including all kinds of swabs for infections and all came back negative. So I've had to trust that it's just a succession of coughs and colds.

Does she have a lot of saliva and swallow a lot?
DS has post nasal drip which makes him cough all night, steroid nose spray helped immensely along with air purifier/ humidifier.

Oh wow you have good negotiators. Never thought of bribery route. Actually at about 10 she stopped coughing and seems to have found a position that is working for her - on front, no covers.

Not noticed that Fannyfifer

Second the humidifier suggestion; I was sceptical, but really helped ds (and us to get some sleep)

I got a cold one from Argos- about £30? I put it on for a wee while before bed, then leave on. It doesn't get hot.

It has made a big difference. As I said, I was sceptical, but am convinced now, as is DH.

I second quietlysuggests, be on the alert in case it is asthma. My daughter's only symptom is constant coughing until she is sick....then she turned blue and had to blue lighted to A&E.

This is before she was diagnosed, so without wanting to be alarmist I always tell parents to be alert with constant coughers as I would hate anyone to go through what she did.

Other suggestions are raise the end of the bed, extra pillows, vicks on chest. And good luck.

FannyFifer, did you have to see a doc for the steroid nose spray thing?

DD is cough cough cough cough coughing all night. Not so bad in the day but when in bed she does not stop and is making herself sick. She had a bad cold a while ago and it's since then. If I ask her how she is she says she just has a lot of 'water' in her mouth and needs to spit/cough a lot. It's definitely dripping down her throat when lying down. No temp, no cold, nothing else. She is flipping shattered though as she wakes up to cough every 13 seconds.

ISeeThreadPeople yup it's on prescription, Nasonex (I think) is its name.

The constant water running down his throat, really made him cough.