Coughing at Night

I was wondering if you have tried to have them sleep propped up at the head a little bit and also use a humidifier in the room that should help her sleep at night and no coughing at night. You might wnat to also see a ENT specialist. They give really good advise.

Hi L.,

This same thing happened with my son, and I used a humidifier and then put Badger Balm (or Vicks) on his feet then put his socks back on, or his footed pj's... It worked great. Many of these posts suggest asthma, and that isn't something that I know much about so I wouldn't rule that out either. Maybe try the humidifier (warm mist always is nice this time of year) and the Badger Balm on her feet until you go to the dr to see what they think... Best wishes! Sleep and health are precious! :-)

My two year old had the same thing last winter adn it went on From November until we finally got in under control in April. The coughing would start around 4am and then would clear up early morning when he had been out of bed for about an hour. We went to the doctor so many times last year finally what worked after trying many different things was singlair. I hate having him on meds daily but it worked and we are all happier. I give it right before he goes down to bed - just an easy chewable pill. I took him off it this summer and then late fall it started again so I put him back on it and he has been fine. Good luck.

Ditto to Kim R.

Does your daughter bathe before bed? Make sure her hair is completely dry!
Also, try allergenic pillow cases.. not ultra cheap. They run about $8.00 per case. And, they are washable.

And, of course be persistent with your pediatrician and get an solution!

Same thing happened with my son around the same age. He ended up with asthma. Good Luck

I agree, sounds like asthma- both my kids have it, myself and my husband and that is a classic symptom- coughing at night with no other cold symptoms. Hopefully your pediatrician will spot it- if you get the brush-off, find a new one! good luck and don't worry, many kids outgrow it or only have symptoms seasonally (like winter when the air is so cold and the heat is on drying things out) My 14 year old hardly ever has symptoms anymore. It can also be fairly easily controlled.

My soon-to-be 3-year old daughter has had colds on and off since June. And with that the coughing spells you describe. She also started preschool this past October. Her pedi told me it was NOT unusual for them to get 8-10 colds in a season. I also keep taking her but alas it's nothing. Her lungs remain clear. Most over the counter meds tend to do nothing. But the dr did say to try children's Benadryl...call your dr to be sure it's OK at that age. It relieves the post-nasal drip which is probably causing her to cough...and makes them sleepy so they can fall asleep. I also use a humidifier and add the Vicks. It seems to be working. I wouldn't worry as long as her lungs are clear.

Not to worry you further, but it could be indicative of asthma. Maybe they should test her for it? I'm asthmatic, and my primary symptom when it is acting up is that I cough a lot when I lie flat. Similarly, 3 of my siblings require an inhaler only when they get a bad cold...it helps clear their lungs. It sounds like your daughter could have something like that. A humidifier helps too.

Good luck & let us know how it turns out!

you also might want to have her room checked for mold, my son had a horrible night cough for months, turned out to be hidden mold in his room (over the ceiling).

My son did (& still does) the same thing with coughing at night. When he was younger it would be to the point of vomiting. He was diagnosed with asthma at 8mos old & on an array of meds including steroids. We tried acupuncture & chiropractors & homeopathy. We also tried the vicks on the feet, which does nothing for his coughing. It does however work great on my daughters coughing from a regular cold, but not on the asthmatic cough. Finally we took him to an ENT who said he had enlarged adnoids & put him on Claritin & Nasonex daily & he's so much better. He still needs his asthma meds, but not nearly as much or as often. Just keep pursuing & trying things. Eventually you'll find something that works for your daughter. Good luck to you.

You do need to go to the doctor. My youngest has had this a couple of times. First time, after about 3 months, we were in for some entirely different reason - I mentioned the cough, they listened to her lungs, and said she had either bronchitis or bronchialitis - I can't remember which is the one that you need medicine for. Anyway, I felt horrible that I had ignored it, and she was on the meds for almost a month because I had waited so long! Ugh! Most recently she had a similar thing - this time I didn't wait long at all - turned out she had an ear infection (she didn't complain about it, but it was definitely infected) and it was draining out into her throat when she lay down. Good luck (and don't feel bad).

Hi L.,

Yep...same thing happened to us. Good to hear you are taking her to the doctor to have it checked out. In our case, my daughter coughed only at night (woke her up all the time), the cough lasted for 2-3 months and it turned out to be nothing. There is hope!! Again, it doesn't hurt to see her doctor to confirm. Hope she feels better.

Hi L., my kids get the nightime coughing when they have a virus. Our doc calls it reactive airway, it is an asthma reaction that they get when they are sick. It sounds like this could be similiar but maybe her trigger is an allergen?? or virus?? I say check into the possibility of asthma or allergies just to be sure. If she gets the right medicine it will help all of you sleep easier. I can totally relate to the stress of listening to your baby cough and flop around all night, then the next day both of you are exhausted.
Good Luck!!

Our son also had coughing at night and then other times during the day. His doctor's diagnosis was asthma but we didn't treat it right for a whole year! I went to an allergist, got him on the proper medication which is only 1/day and he sleeps, runs, does everything- we almost forget he has asthma!!! Good luck! Sleep is essential to both the child and parents and keeps everyone happy!!!!

L., My son at 10 months old had a similar problem..and after much expense and MANY treatments including allergy medications and a nebilizer he was completely cured of his cough with a week of antibiotics. He had the cough for six months (don't let it go that long!!!) Push for the antibiotics (most pediatricians are hesitant to give them these days but in the case of my son we had tried everything else and he had never had antibiotics before so I didn't feel we were abusing the system!) I have heard that coughs that don't clear within a month usually go from a viral infection to bacterial, hence why the antibiotics help! Good luck!

Hi, L.. I don't know what to tell you about why the cough is lingering so long, but I can tell you a trick for getting the cough to subside at night. I've tried it with my 4 year old son, and it works. (My dad passed this along to his 83 year old sister, and she tried it, too, and said it worked for her as well.)

Since the nerves on our feet are connected to all kinds of places on our bodies, smear some Vicks Vaporub on your child's feet at bedtime, cover the feet with socks (so it doesn't get all over the sheets), and the cough should disappear.

Good luck, K.

I think it is a good idea to take her in to get it checked, just in case. I do know that these annoying coughs can linger, though 3 months sounds a bit long and you have hung in there as much as possible! I was told once by the pediatrician on call when I called in a panic over an illness that kids' illnesses (and adults too) get worse at night because humans' stress hormones decrease at night, making our bodies more susceptible to whatever is going on. Makes sense when you think about it... the only other suggestion I have is to use a humidifier in her room. With the cold, dry air and the heat on in the house, the air is likely so dry that the cough gets worse. Plus, when kids have their heads down on a crib mattress or a pillow it can make the cough worse - maybe prop her up if she doesn't move a ton at night? You could put blankets under the sheet so they don't get tangled. Finally, there are lots of natural, homeopathic type remedies for kids in Whole Foods that you could use. Cold medicine doesn't work anyway, but some of the natural brands have treatments that can work for even young toddlers like yours. I hope this helps and you are all on the mend SOON! Let us know!

I know you've already taken your daughter to the doctor but just wanted to mention that a prolonged cough like that *could* be walking pneumonia. If you haven't already, I would ask your daughter's doctor if that's what it could be.

~L., mom to 3 year old daughter

oops, didn't see your update at first- glad you have your answer and the albuterol!

Hi L.,
Sounds like you have been living in my world..lol!
It turned out to be asthma for my daughter. Poor thing couldnt sleep and was so tired all the time.
Good luck,
T.