When a person is sick, coughing during the day is usually not as problematic as it is at night. It is at night, or rather at midnight, that a strong exacerbation of cough occurs, a person cannot fall asleep on his own and interferes with the sleep of his loved ones. Moreover, children suffer from this to a greater extent.
What to do if you have a cough
The main cause of cough is considered to be a viral infection. It categorically cannot be treated with antibiotics, if only because the bronchi and lungs are cleared due to coughing. By suppressing coughing, the natural defense against serious bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, is removed.
If you are unable to see how your child is suffering and cannot fall asleep at night due to a severe cough, then you should start taking action.
Help your baby fall asleep
The first recommendation is traditional: drink more water. The liquid will not only help soften your cough, but it will also help remove phlegm. A hot drink - milk with honey and butter, cranberry juice or herbal extract of expectorant herbs - will help as a sedative. A drink like this will help moisturize your throat, thereby easing your cough.
The second recommendation is to keep your baby's nose clean. A clogged nose will cause the baby to breathe through the mouth, which will dry out the throat and mouth. To do this, before going to bed, it is imperative to clear the baby's nose and, if necessary, bury it with baby vasoconstrictor drops. Or rinse your nose with saline.
The third recommendation is to lower the room temperature. Hot air in a room can make coughing worse, while cool air is more humid, which is necessary in this situation. Just do not use artificial devices for humidifying the air, since pathogenic bacteria and mold multiply in them much faster.
The fourth recommendation is not to rub the baby's chest at night. The ointment will not in any way affect a night cough, but inhalation of its vapors can lead to pneumonia.
General tips for a child's nocturnal cough can be as follows. If you are absolutely sure that your baby is allergic, this cough should be stopped with antihistamines. But before use, be sure to read the instructions so as not to accidentally give the child an adult medicine and to accurately observe the dosage.
If your baby has been awake for several nights, try giving him drugs containing dextromethorphan and guaifenesin. These drugs can soften phlegm and relieve coughs. They, of course, will not give a one hundred percent effect, but it is this circumstance that is considered their advantage, since it is forbidden to completely suppress the cough.
Remember that it is forbidden to give a child under 1 year old potent cough medicines, as their effect can affect the baby's breathing.
