CIO (C for cough not cry!)

[DappledThings]

DS, 12 months, has had The Cough that is going round on and off for about three months. He's generally a good sleeper but at some point in the night he will wake himself up coughing. It's early tonight, it was 11.15 rather than 1 something or 3 something.

Nothing helps. If he's picked up to try and alleviate the cough he just gets agitated because he doesn't like being held when he's trying to sleep. If he's left it can go on for over an hour with him not really awake but certainly not asleep.

I've just left him back in the cot for the third time trying to go back to sleep. Holding him was annoying him, hand on back was annoying him and now he's making trying to sleep noises but then every 30 seconds the bastard cough again.

I know cough it out has worked because there have been times when it's been later in the night and I've not fully woken up that I've heard him and seen the time a couple of times and he's gone back to sleep but it's taken over an hour and it just seems a bit shit to leave him that long

This is just a rant really. One day he'll finally not have it and sleep through again. But I feel somewhat helpless only being able to listen to him.

Coughing about once every 5 minutes. Just enough to keep me awake too. He can't really be awake but can't be in proper deep sleep either. Aaarrgh.

I'd leave him be. If you're only keeping him awake and he isn't distressed I'd offer him a drink then leave it. He'll eventually get a long enough break to drop off.

I would just leave it too. There isn't much you can do about a cough, they do settle down eventually and get into a deeper sleep which seems to also act as a cough suppressant for my two!

At 12 months old you could give him a pillow. Or raise one end of the cot by putting books under the feet. Anything to raise his head above his chest will help.

You can also try baby olbas oil. Or Vicks vaporub. A bowl of water on his radiator to improve humidity. I like a bowl of water in front of a fan - the movement of cooler/wetter air calms a tickly throat.

I wouldn't leave my baby coughing like that. I'd suspect with my children the only reason they weren't crying is because they felt so exhausted and so rotten. I wouldn't leave the child alone feeling like that.

I might not be able to help (above the things mentioned above) or make things better. But at least I could offer cuddles, reassurance and compassion.

I'd either move into childs room for the night and hold hands through the cot bars. Or bring baby into my room, either in a travel cot next to me or cosleeping until better.

DD is older (nearly 3) but has the same problem. What has helped is:
Vicks on her chest and on the soles of her feet with socks over.
Having an extra pillow so she's a bit more propped up.
Olbas oil on a muslin on the radiator.

She often coughs in the night without waking but if she does wake up a drink of warm water usually soothes her enough to go back to sleep quite quickly.

I am taking her to the doctor tomorrow though as she's had it a long time now.

Thanks all. He has a Vicks type rub on his chest and feet. I've done the wet towel on radiator before but it's got really warm now and heating is off! Was off all yesterday and his room was still 22 when he went to bed.

Last night I held him for about 15 minutes then had two 10 minute periods of stating with him leaning into cot with hand on back. All of that only wakes him up more and co-sleeping is a definite no. He just gets really cross being cuddled when he's trying to sleep! Very cuddly in day and loves the sling but needs his space to get to sleep.