coughing making 18mo sick

[TheWheelsOnTheBusHaveFallenOff]

ds is 18mo and has an awful cough, nothing else wrong with him. he comes into my bed in the mornings to have his milk and then usually goes back to sleep. This morning is the third in a row that he has tried to go back to sleep but instead coughed a few times and brought back up most of the milk, over my bed...

Any advice on how to help him keep the milk down please? I try to prop him up and had a towel at the ready so did catch most of it this morning. If I give him water he gets so upset and won't drink it, if I give him less than a cup of milk he gets upset when it's finished. Would watering the milk down help at all? Am loathe to just get up and start the day as sometimes he has milk around 5am, it is too cold and dark to get up then. and I am too lazy.

Going out for a bit so will check in later, not ignoring any replies! Thanks.

Don't give him milk!
Dd2 is 2 and has awful cough/cold/temperature thing. She loves her milk when she wakes up and before bed, but it's a big no no as she coughs and brings it straight back up. She's having squash instead as she's not keen on water at the moment. (I hate water when I'm ill!)
I know how you feel as I've changed my bed 3 times in past 48 hours due to morning/evening milk throw ups. Will he try juice or squash?

Thanks for your reply! Sadly he just screams and gets so upset if given water, and he doesn't like juice or smoothies. I know milk is a real problem for their stomachs when they're coughing and have lots of disgusting snot etc they've been swallowing too. Will just have to keep the towels handy and the washing machine on standby ...