How to Avoid Coughing at Night

Coughing at night can keep you and your partner awake all night. It can also cause an irritation of the throat, leaving you to suffer through the next day with a sore throat. Causes include smoking, the weather, asthma, allergies and inflammation of the larynx or pharynx.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Vapor rub
• 500 mg of vitamin C
• Grapes
• Honey

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Drink lots of water throughout the evening to help dissolve the thick mucus that is secreted from the walls of your respiratory passages. This type of mucus is also referred to as phlegm and gets worse during a cold or flu.

• 2

  Drink vitamin C. Within a couple of hours of going to bed, drink at least 500 milligrams of vitamin C. Fruit juices such as orange, grapefruit and tomato juice are excellent sources for vitamin C. Vitamin C is an important vitamin for helping your body fight off pathogens and decrease coughing.

• 3

  Rub vapor rub on your feet and put on a pair of socks. While relaxing in your favorite chair or couch, elevate your feet so that they are about the same height as your torso. Vapor rub is great for getting rid of a nasty cough. Chairs that allow you to have your feet up and your torso propped up are great for sleeping in when you have a bad cough because they keep you at an angle that will help you breath.

• 4

  Eat grapes while your feet are elevated. Grapes act as expectorant and are good for toning up your lungs.

• 5

  Have at least one teaspoon of honey before heading off to bed. Honey is good for relaxing throat muscles and clearing air passages so you can get a good night's rest.

• 6

  Sleep with your head elevated. Whether in your favorite chair or with several pillows under your head, keep your head above your chest. This will maximize your ability to breathe overnight, reducing a bad cough.

• 7

  See a doctor. When you have a cough that continues without going away like a cough accompanying a cold would, it is importent to see a medical professional right away. Coughing can be a symptom for many diseases and illnesses, including bronchitis, asthma respiratory problems and infections.