How to Stop Coughing At Night Naturally: It's Not as Difficult as You Think

There is no doubt that at a younger age we all have experienced a cough that was different from that of just a common cold. But, when it is a night cough, it is something different. An abnormal night cough (1) can be a symptom of a serious illness.

Anyone can experience coughing from time to time. Normal coughing may help in getting rid of irritants or excess mucus from your lungs.

But, if you’re coughing at night specifically, then it can interrupt your sleep while also preventing you from getting some rest.

However, there is some natural coughing at night remedies that you can utilize to prevent coughing and thereby get a sound sleep.

Coughing at night causes

There can be multiple causes of coughing at night such as,

• Viral infections
• Asthma
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD (2)
• Postnasal drip
• Environmental/air irritants
• Smoking
• Cystic fibrosis
• Allergies
• Bacterial infections
• Whopping cough

Additionally, sometimes, even your sleeping position can also cause coughing at night.

Home remedies for coughing at night

1. Honey:

Based on scientific research, if you’re having a tickly cough at night, then honey can help you relieve a cough. Honey can successfully suppress your coughing and thereby prevent any need for antibiotics.

Ingredient: 

• A cup of hot or warm water 
• one teaspoon of honey.

How to prepare: 

• Simply mix the honey with a cup of warm/hot water and sip slowly.

How often: 

• Once in the morning and once in the evening, especially if you’re experiencing cough mucus.

Tips (if any): 

• You can add lemon to your honey drink to further flavor it.

2. Ginger:

With the help of ginger, you can ease asthmatic or dry coughing at night only in adults. Ginger also contains anti-inflammatory properties that help in relieving pain and nausea (3).

Ingredient: 

• One cup of tea of your choice (preferably green tea) 
• Some small slices of ginger.

How to prepare: 

• Add the slices of ginger to your hot cup of tea, wait for two minutes and then drink.

How often: 

• Two times a day, preferably during the morning and the evening.

Tips (if any): 

• The ginger slices should be very small so that the ginger juice can be assimilated quickly into your tea and relieve your night cough.

3. Turmeric:

It should be known that turmeric (4) contains curcumin, which is an anti-inflammatory compound having various antibacterial and antiviral properties. Hence, it’s ideal for treating conditions if you’re coughing non-stop.

Ingredient: 

• One teaspoon of turmeric
• One teaspoon of black pepper
• One glass of cold beverage (you can use fruit juices such as orange/pineapple/mango).

How to prepare: 

• Simply mix the turmeric and black pepper into the beverage and mix it well.

How often: 

• Once a day, preferably in the morning, to solve any tickle in the throat cough.

Tips (if any): 

• Ensure that you use only fruit juices or coconut water as a beverage and avoid any soft drinks.

4. Marshmallow root:

The marshmallow root is a certain type of herb that is only used in cough syrups as well as in lozenges so that it can cure uncontrollable coughing at night in a child. It also has antibacterial properties.

Ingredient: 

• Small slices of marshmallow root and a cup of hot water (you can drink green tea as well).

How to prepare: 

• Put the small slices of the marshmallow root into the hot liquid and let it stay for at least five minutes. 
• Close the mouth of the cup with a lid. Then drink the beverage.

How often: 

• At least once every day, for the best results.

Tips (if any): 

• Make sure that the beverage is boiling; otherwise, the marshmallow root will get properly assimilated.

5. Peppermint:

You must learn that peppermint contains menthol, which is responsible for numbing the nerve endings, especially around the throat area of human beings. 

Hence, you can use peppermint to reduce coughing only at night. Peppermint can also help in relieving congestion in your chest, due to its antiviral and antibacterial properties.

Ingredient: 

• Take some peppermint leaves 
• A cup of boiling water or green tea.

How to prepare: 

• Dissolve the clean peppermint leaves into the cup of boiling green tea or water, and let it stay for some time. 
• Close the mouth of the cup with a lid. Then drink while it's hot/warm.

How often: 

• Two times a day, once in the morning and then at night before sleeping.

Tips (if any): 

• If you’re not into brewing peppermint tea, then you can consume peppermint lozenges.
• Lozenges can also be used as a remedy for coughing in toddlers.

6. Masala chai/Tea:

The taste of masala chai or tea is well-known all over the world and not just in India. It can be used to cure dry cough and sore throat, ultimately solving the problem of coughing up mucus (5) at night.

It contains multiple types of ingredients such as cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves.

Ingredient: 

• To brew masala chai, you need water, milk, sugar, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, ginger, and of course your favorite tea leaves.

How to prepare: 

• First, you have to make black tea using water, sugar, and tea leaves. 
• Then add the spices along with milk. 
• Drink in a hot or warm state.

How often: 

• Once a day, before going to sleep at night.

Tips (if any): 

• Avoid using too much milk because it can soften the essence of the spices. 
• A strong essence of the spices is needed especially if you can’t stop coughing at night.

Child coughing at night remedies

There are many ways in which you can treat a toddler's cough at night.

Most of the time a child coughing at night is a sign of a cold. That is why it is very important to make sure that the child is well hydrated.

This will not only help you get a good night's sleep but it will also help your kids get rid of the cough faster.

Cough is a symptom of some health conditions such as allergy (6), sinus, cold, asthma, flu, etc. So always keep your child healthy by providing good nutrition and hygienic living conditions.

This will not only prevent a cold or fever but also keep your kids away from catching other contagious diseases.

Night coughing symptoms

Some of the common night coughing symptoms are,

• Coughing by the individual for a duration of two weeks or more
• Dry cough
• Long-lasting cough
• Fever
• Pain in the neck or chest
• Crackling sounds in the chest
• Ineffective cough
•  Malaise
• Restlessness
• Tossing and turning while sleeping.

So, if you see that you cough through the night for more than a week, then you should see a doctor soon.

FAQ

1. Why do I have a dry cough at night?

Ans: At night, when we sleep, our mouth tends to produce less saliva (7), which in turn makes our throat drier than normal. Hence, you can experience a dry cough at night.

2. Why am I coughing so much at night?

Ans: There can be many reasons why you can be coughing so much at night, such as:

• Common cold
• Flu
• Asthma
• Allergies
• Chronic bronchitis
• Emphysema

3. How to get rid of a cough in 5 minutes?

Ans: The main reason for a cough is a tickling in the throat or the pharynx. So, what you need to do is to try to clear that tickle, as it is going to bring you some relief within 5 minutes.

You can do that by swallowing while holding your nose closed. It might sound strange, but you are going to get relief instantly once you swallow and hold your nose at the same time.

Try it and you will see the results your nasty tickle will be cleared within a few seconds.

Coughs are annoying, particularly at night. Most coughs are not serious, but uncomfortable and irritating nonetheless.

The best way to get rid of a cough is to drink a cup of honey (8) and lemon. You can even add garlic to it! This can reduce your cough symptoms.

Another way is to drink hot water, honey and lemon. This will help reduce your cough.

4. Is night cough dangerous?

Ans: Night cough is not dangerous if it is occurring only at night and does not prevent you from sleeping.

If night cough disrupts your sleep, persists for more than a week, accompanied by other symptoms like a sore throat, fever, or the presence of pus in your phlegm, consult a medical doctor immediately. Night cough might be a symptom of a dangerous or chronic condition like asthma, lung cancer, or tuberculosis.

You may have to consult a medical doctor and take necessary tests for the same.

Final Note

It should be known that the overall severity of the coughing will greatly depend on the reason or cause.

Drinking hot milk before going to bed and applying methyl succinate or menthol cream can help with night cough.

If you are encountering this coughing at night too often and find it difficult to go to bed without a cough, talk to your doctor. He might treat your cough with cough suppressants or decongestants.

Lastly, we hope you liked our guide, and in case you have any further queries, feel free to let us know.

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