Tips on how to sleep and not cough all night please

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Last night, I'm not exaggerating, I spent more time coughing than sleeping. How can I avoid the same happening again tonight?

I tried sleeping propped up, I even went rummaging through handbags and drawers until I found some cough sweets. Nothing helped.

Any tips please

When we were little and got nasty coughs my Mom would have us turn on the light and read. The concentration + distraction + novelty of reading at 1am + not lying there desperately trying to sleep helped, and eventually we’d be tired enough to doze off literally through the occasional cough.

Nowadays? If you have a shop by you that would have a cool mist diffuser + peppermint oil, that’s my go-to. Something soothing that settles the cough. A hot steamy shower helps also, and somehow wears me out enough that I’ll fall asleep anyways.

Do you have any menthol crystals/ olbas oil/ Vicks? I know they're intended for blocked noses but I find that dissolving some in a bowl of boiling water helps with coughs too.

Ah poor you, been there, it’s exhausting. My tips:

Breathe in through your nose if you can. It stops the throat drying out so much.

Have a bath before bed, breathe in steam, then breathe out hard several times, helps to force out any phlegm (assuming it’s a productive cough). Might buy you a few hours of not coughing till it builds up again.

Agree about taking a break sometimes from trying to sleep.

Antihistamine.

Calms the inflammation and helps you sleep.

Warm shower to clear airways, warm drink to soothe throat and cocodamol to relax muscles so you don't cough as much. You do need to sleep propped up if you can.

Vicks on the soles of your feet, may be placebo but works for me.

Vicks on your feet, chest and back. I always thought it was just for stuffy noses but it works wonders on coughs

Night nurse. Really helps will sleep.

Agree about propping up and breathing through the nose, also a vapour rub / olbas oil fan anything to feel airways are more open.

Sips of water.

I did end up reading for a good hour last night when I realised I wasn't going to get back to sleep easily.

I've had an antihistamine so fingers crossed that helps.

Ooh I'd forgotten about the Vicks on the soles of the feet tip ....off to have a look as I'm sure we have some.

Warm milk & honey always helps my daughter. Laying on her front seems to help as well.

Hyssop tea is very good for coughs and helps to loosen the gunge in the throat.

Calpol? Coats the throat beautifully when you're coughing. Just make sure your overall paracetamol limits are okay.

Honey and lemon in hot water

I put honey in a fruit tea, or hot water and lemon and it costs the throat.

Coats!

Actifed liquid in the red box. If you can get it! Bloody amazing stuff.

Yep, a drink that coats the throat like milk and honey, and an antihistamine to knock you out. Poor OP.

Another vote for Night Nurse. Liquid, not the capsules though. Horrible taste, but works wonders.

I'm a fan of co-codamol for coughs. Have to be happy your breathing is okay as it can suppress your breathing but it is very effective.

I had this the other night. I did a vicks steam bath, propped up my pillow, made a honey and lemon drink with a teabag dipped in, took one anti histamine and a paracetamol.
Not sure what part of the above worked but it did!

menthol rub on chest, throat and soles of feet (no idea why this helps coughs but it does.

Sleeping propped up - push lower pillow forward and higher pillow back so it's a step effect. Put shoulders on lower pillow and head on upper pillow. That stops the neck from being in a contracted position.

Gross so stop reading now if squeamish: Watch a live set by a favourite comedian before bed. You laugh so much you cough up all the phlegm before lights out.

Pholcodine at night, plus steam inhalations, and keep the bedroom cool

A kid’s vapour plug in, it’ll clear the airway. Antihistamines 20 minutes before bed and a hot shower before taking it.

Buttercup syrup! It’s amazing for nighttime coughs.

Doesn't help you tonight but get some of that lidocaine throat spray, it numbs the back of your throat and prevents the cough reflex for me. It's short lasting but usually gives me enough time to get to sleep