How to Reduce Cough at Night ?

Nighttime coughs can be sleep-wreckers. The key is to soothe your ticklish throat and over-sensitive airways before you go to bed.

Drink herbal tea with honey. Get into the habit of having a mug of non-caffeinated tea before bed. "Any warm liquid can help break up mucus in your airways," says Norman H. Edelman, MD, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. Add a little honey.

Watch the humidity. Humidifiers can help coughs if the air is dry. But too much moisture in your bedroom can keep you coughing, too. Dust mites and mold -- both common allergens -- thrive in damp air. Edelman suggests that you keep humidity levels at 40% to 50%. To measure humidity, pick up an inexpensive device -- a hygrometer -- at your hardware store.

Prepare your bedside. In case you start coughing in the night, have everything you need by your bed -- a glass of water, cough medicine or drops, and anything else that seems to help. The sooner you can stop a coughing fit, the better. Continually coughing irritates your airways, which can make your nighttime problem last longer.

Keep bedding clean. If you have a cough and are prone to allergies, focus on your bed. Dust mites -- tiny creatures that eat dead flakes of skin and lurk in bedding -- are a common allergy trigger. To get rid of them, each week wash all your bedding in hot water, Edelman says. 

See your doctor. If you've had a nighttime cough for longer than 7 days, it's time to check in with your doctor. It may take some time, but together, you and your doctor can figure out the cause -- and make your nights peaceful again.