Sometimes in the afternoon, the child looks quite healthy: he is cheerful, cheerful, and absolutely no cough. Everything changes dramatically with the onset of night. It is at this time of day that sudden coughing attacks begin that cause natural anxiety in the child's parents.
If all the measures taken to get rid of the disease do not give positive results, it is necessary to call a medical worker at home, and in emergency cases - an ambulance. Only a specialist can determine the exact reason why a child coughs when he goes to bed. Remember: most often coughing at night is a consequence of some kind of pathology. But it may happen that such a phenomenon is a simple and elementary purification of the bronchi from the accumulated secret (i.e. dust and germs). In each case, it is necessary to understand individually.
Why attacks occur at night
Why does the baby begin to cough when she goes to bed? There are a number of factors that can trigger this phenomenon:
- The functioning of the endocrine and nervous systems is determined by the time of day. At night, the production of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol is significantly reduced and, as a result, there is some narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi. Which leads to difficult discharge of sputum and, of course, to cough.
- When the baby is in a horizontal position, the discharge of sputum from the lungs and their blood supply deteriorate significantly due to the fact that at this age the pulmonary apparatus is not completely perfect (that is, the breathing tubes have a fairly small clearance). As a result of this, the child begins a coughing fit as soon as he goes to bed. That is, everything is natural.
- If the baby has rhinitis, then at night the mucus can drain down the larynx and cause a cough, sometimes leading to vomiting.
Possible causes of coughing in children at night
Why does the baby begin to cough when she goes to bed? The reasons for this manifestation can be a great many:
- Pathology of the ARI group.
- Tracheitis.
- SARS (e.g., flu or parainfluenza).
- Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the lungs (i.e. pleurisy).
- Bacterial sinusitis.
- Foreign body in the airways.
- Allergy.
- Inflammation of the lung tissue (i.e. pneumonia).
- Pathology of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., gastric reflux).
- Helminths.
- Whooping cough.
- Bronchial asthma.
- ENT diseases of a chronic or acute nature (for example, sinusitis, laryngitis, adenoiditis or rhinitis).
Important! If a child develops symptoms such as chest pain, body temperature above 38 degrees, cramps, swelling of the face (or neck), and shortness of breath, you should immediately call an ambulance.
Let us dwell on some points in more detail.
Whooping cough
What is the reason that the child went to bed and began to cough? Perhaps this is a serious respiratory disease of an infectious nature, which is characterized by severe spasmodic coughing attacks, i.e. whooping cough. It is often found in children under two years of age. Infection occurs only by airborne droplets in direct contact with an already ill person, and the incubation period is about one to two weeks. For one month (starting from the moment the first signs of an ailment appear), a child who is infected with whooping cough is dangerous for all the people around him. Therefore, all precautions should be taken.
Symptoms of the disease:
- Lack of appetite.
- Sometimes the presence of irritability.
- General weakness and malaise are observed.
- In rare cases, body temperature rises to 38-39 degrees.
- In the early stages of the disease, lacrimation, sore throat and runny nose are observed.
- In the crisis period of the disease, inflammatory processes of the bronchi, trachea or throat occur.
- At the end of the second week after the onset of the disease, the child coughs violently when he falls asleep. Moreover, stopping this wet cough, characterized by abundant sputum production, is impossible with almost any, even potent medications.
- Attacks are accompanied by agitation, redness of the face, bloating of veins in the neck, protruding of the tongue from the mouth (often injuring the frenum), possible respiratory arrest and even the development of suffocation.
- At the moment between the coughing tremors (their number varies from five to ten), a deep breath is observed with a characteristic whistling sound (that is, a reprise), followed again by a series of convulsive manifestations. The number of such cycles can vary from two to ten (and sometimes even more).
- Viscous sputum (vitreous) is released at the end of the attack.
- Nausea and vomiting are possible.
- Coughing fits bring the child to exhaustion. Sometimes, a fainting or convulsive condition is observed.
Important! In babies, sputum can pass through the nasal cavity. Hospitalization of a patient whose condition is severe or moderate is mandatory.
The recovery period after an illness, which can be several months, depends on the severity of the disease and the defenses of the patient’s body itself.
There is no innate immunity to this disease. It can appear only after a person has been ill with this ailment. Moreover, this acquired immunity persists throughout life. If a person is vaccinated against this disease, the effect is short-term and after a certain time (established by the vaccination calendar), revaccination is necessary. And one more thing worth mentioning: in children who have been vaccinated, the course of whooping cough occurs in a milder form and almost without complications (compared to those who are not vaccinated).
Allergy
The child is perplexed: “Why, when I fall asleep, do I start coughing?” Parents are also trying to find the answer to this question. Perhaps this is an allergic cough that lasts quite a while and is accompanied by a runny nose and lacrimation. This ailment proceeds, as a rule, without temperature (unlike colds). Sometimes a child has a sore throat and itching.
Most often, such a cough begins suddenly and is characterized as barking and booming. May be dry or in combination with clear mucus.
If in the evening and especially at night the symptoms begin to worsen (sometimes they can reach real asthma attacks), then, most likely, the source (i.e. allergen) of the cough is either in the child’s bed or somewhere nearby. It can be anything:
- Pajamas or bedding made from low-grade raw materials.
- Toys in the immediate vicinity of the child.
- Furniture items that fill the nursery.
- Perhaps the child coughs heavily when he goes to bed, due to poor-quality detergent, in which he washed the bedding and clothes of the baby.
Advice! To establish the source of an allergic cough in a child, start gradually, item by item, isolate them from the baby and observe its condition. And also, maybe it’s worth changing not only the brand of washing powder, but also the manufacturer of bedding.
If the child goes to bed and begins to cough, parents should give the baby an antihistamine group at the very beginning of the attack to alleviate the condition and prevent the development of possible complications. In case of emergency, emergency care should be called. Allergy is not as harmless as it seems.
Bronchial asthma
If a child complains: “I fall asleep and start coughing,” do not leave his complaints unattended. A possible cause of this manifestation is bronchial asthma, the symptoms of which only intensify with overexcitation, stress or excitement. To provoke a disease, which is characterized by pain in the sternum (in the region of the heart muscle), can be either infectious pathogens or certain allergens. What can cause a cough:
- dust;
- dry air in the room in which the baby sleeps;
- pollen of various plants;
- animal hair;
- a glass of warm milk drunk before bedtime if the child suffers from a latent allergy to dairy products;
- washing powder;
- fillers for mattresses and pillows.
Important! If you installed an air humidifier in a child’s room, remember that using this device promotes the circulation of pathogenic microbes and allergens in the room.
At an early stage of its development, asthma is manifested exclusively by night attacks due to spasmodic reactions in the lungs to internal and external stimuli. The acute form of this ailment makes itself felt in the morning.
As a result of the prolonged course of the disease, the baby may experience shortness of breath. Therefore, at the first signs of this dangerous disease, do not postpone the trip to the allergist and pediatrician for a long time.
Parasites - Cause of Coughing at Night
Why does the baby cough when he goes to bed? Perhaps these are helminthic infestations. For example, parasites such as giardia and roundworms can cause dry cough in children at night. The fact is that the larvae of these helminths, migrating through the human circulatory system, can enter the trachea, bronchi or lungs. This causes irritation of the receptors and, as a result, a coughing fit, which is accompanied by manifestations such as upset stools, abdominal pain, dizziness, and nausea.
When a person is infected with helminths, symptoms such as fever, chills, or sore throat are generally not observed.
For the doctor to be able to diagnose the presence of helminths in the body, which could cause the child to cough when he falls asleep, the usual general clinical tests are not enough. By the way, their results will be ready after only 10-12 days (no sooner). Often it is necessary to prescribe such an additional study as ELISA (i.e. an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay).
Gastroesophageal Reflux
“I cough when I fall asleep,” the baby sometimes complains to mom in the morning. What could it be? Perhaps this is a gastroesophageal reflux, which is characterized by sore throat, dry cough and sometimes vomiting (usually without the presence of fever).
The condition of the child can be aggravated by daytime heartburn, recurring periodically. This may indicate inflammatory processes in the stomach or esophagus; congenital pathologies or elementary overeating just before bedtime.
What is reflux? This is the movement of the contents of the stomach back into the esophagus. Here is such a "cycle of food in the body." As a result of these movements, due to the acidic environment of the contents of the stomach, irritation of the walls of the esophagus occurs and, as a result, coughs.
Coughing Attacks in an Infant
Why does a child cough when falling asleep? Causes of cough in babies who are not even a year old may be:
- The first milk teeth appearing. In this case, a large amount of saliva is formed, which, flowing down the larynx, becomes a provocateur of a cough reflex.
- In addition, the baby is bothered by pain in the gums. As a result, it becomes difficult for him to swallow saliva and has a cough.
- The diet of the baby. An insufficient amount of iron in its diet can cause a sore throat and, as a result, coughing attacks. To avoid this, micronutrients must be added to food.
On a note! So that the problem that the child coughs when he goes to bed does not bother you anymore, you should put the baby to sleep on its side (only 2-3 hours after eating), placing a small pillow under his head (so that he can not choke on saliva).
Medicines for the treatment of night cough in a child
The child coughs when he goes to bed. What to do in this case? You can give one of the following drugs:
- "Broncholitin" or "Stoptussin" having a combined effect (antitussive and bronchodilator).
- If the child goes to bed and begins to cough, give him the Chest Elixir, Doctor Tyss, Doctor Mom, Pertussin, Bronchicum, Mukaltin, Linkas syrup or ammonia drops. These plant-based drugs have a good expectorant effect and will help in the fight against tracheitis and bronchitis.
- With angina, antitussive lozenges and lozenges, which have a softening effect on the throat, can help. They are recommended for use by children over four years of age (Septolete, Anti-angina).
- Medicines such as Tusuprex, Glaucin, Libexin, Levopront, Sinecode, Glauvent, or Sedotussin, which help suppress seizures, are suitable for controlling dry cough in children. Important! All drugs that suppress a cough can be used only as directed by a doctor and in accordance with the age of the child.
- "Terfenadine" or "Erius." Each of them is recommended as an antihistamine for allergies.
- Does the child cough when he goes to bed and wakes up? To combat attacks of wet cough, such medicines as Bromhexine, Ambroxol, Ambrobene, Flavamed, Lazolvan and ACC are suitable, which help thin the sputum and remove it from the lungs and bronchi.
- The formation of snot, as a rule, is a concomitant manifestation of coughing attacks. Vasoconstrictor drugs and nasal sprays will help get rid of them (for example, Vibrocil, Galazolin, Naphthyzin, Tizin Xilo, Nazivin or Otrivin). Important! Do not use such medicines for more than a week. Otherwise, excessive drying of the mucosa may occur.
- If there is a cough in children under one year of age, in which the bronchi are still poorly developed, drugs such as Prospan or Gedelix are recommended. These medicines contain ivy extract as an active ingredient.
Medications for treating serious illnesses such as asthma, pneumonia, and gastroesophageal reflux should be prescribed by your healthcare provider. As, however, and all other medications for the treatment of other ailments. Remember: self-medication is dangerous.
Pediatrician's recommendations
Many pediatricians are sure that coughing is just a protective reaction of the body to a certain pathology, which should be detected and treated. But at the same time, do not forget that the attacks give the patient a certain discomfort. You can get rid of them quite simply: you just need to drink a lot (for example, warm tea, fruit drinks, compote or water) and often ventilate the room. In addition, you need:
- As often as possible to carry out wet cleaning of rooms in the apartment.
- If the child went to bed and began to cough, what should I do? Avoid any contact of the baby with allergens, that is, with objects that smell strongly or irritate the respiratory tract (for example, a toy, piece of furniture, household chemicals, a pillow, or tobacco smoke).
- Use a humidifier. In this case, the optimal room temperature should be about 20-22 degrees.
- For children whose age is 1 year or more, we recommend making inhalations from decoctions of herbs, a mixture of soda and water, as well as saline solutions. However, such manipulations are contraindicated in infants.
- To facilitate the night's sleep of babies who are not yet a year old, their position in the crib should be changed. These manipulations help prevent the accumulation of mucus in the nasal cavity.
- Does the child cough when he goes to bed and wakes up at the same time? It will be possible to avoid this if every evening, just before bedtime, you clean the baby’s nose using a solution of salt and warm water for these purposes. After the procedure, the patient should blow his nose well.
- The kid is surprised: “Why do I cough when I go to bed?” You can alleviate his suffering if you make a foot bath (water temperature should be 42-43 degrees).
Important! In the treatment of coughing attacks, in no case should antibiotics be given to a child without the appointment of a specialist. Also, in the presence of sputum, you can not use antitussive medications, and with dry coughing, drugs with an expectorant effect.
Folk remedies to combat the symptom
Many parents are worried that the child coughs when he goes to bed. Moreover, they are adherents of non-traditional methods of treatment. Here are some methods from the arsenal of traditional medicine:
- Warm milk perfectly copes with coughing fits. You can add either butter (a small piece per cup), or baking soda (1/4 teaspoon per 100 ml of milk product), or honey (about 6-8 ml), if you are not allergic to this product. Keep in mind that milk with soda can only be given to children after 5 years. Previously not worth it.
- Does the child go to bed and begin to cough violently? He can be helped by warm compresses of potato cakes applied to the chest (or back). That is, they must be alternated. The procedure is as follows: boil a few potatoes (it is possible in a peel), knead them, wrap them in cotton fabric and lay them on the sternum or back. Wrap on top with a warm woolen scarf. The duration of the procedure is 2-3 hours. Several of these procedures - and the problem that the child falls asleep and begins to cough, will be solved. Before you put the cakes on your chest or back, make sure that it is not very hot. Otherwise, burns may occur.
- Slow resorption of honey (better than buckwheat) immediately before bedtime. If the child has an allergic reaction to honey, then this method should be abandoned.
- Immediately before bedtime and immediately after it, give the child drink warm tea with raspberries, fruit drinks from berries and fruits, as well as plain boiled water.
- Breast collection at number 1, which contributes to the removal of sputum and reduces the inflammatory process. The main components of this herb collection are licorice root, coltsfoot and oregano.
- Breast charges numbered 2 and 3, having emollient, expectorant and antiseptic properties. Designed for the treatment of bronchitis, pneumonia and protracted cough.
- Breast collection at number 4, which includes herbs such as ledum, calendula, chamomile, peppermint, licorice and violet.
- In some cases, coughing sugar can help cope with a fit of coughing. We prepare it as follows: pour sugar (1 tablespoon) into a metal container and start heating on the stove until it dissolves and turns brown. After removing it from the heat, cool it and allow these “candies” to the child to dissolve. And you can add unrefined sugar to warm milk.
On a note! All fees can be purchased at the pharmacy chain. Moreover, numbers 1, 2 and 3 are intended to combat the disease in children older than six years, and No. 4 can be given even to a child aged two years.
Therapeutic diet to enhance immunity
Does the child go to bed and begin to cough violently? The reason for this phenomenon may lie in the weakened immunity of the baby. What can be done in this situation? A special therapeutic diet can help improve the functioning of the immune system and significantly increase vitality. Here's what is recommended for inclusion in the daily menu:
- A decoction made from rose hips.
- Fruit drinks from cranberries or cranberries.
- Mashed potatoes using warm milk.
- Freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices. Grape is especially recommended (as, incidentally, is the grape itself).
- Hercules porridge with butter, cooked in milk.
- Vitamin C-rich fruits (preferably citrus fruits).
- Fresh cabbage salads with olive oil or radish with sour cream.
- Honey (in the absence of an allergic reaction to this product).
Prevention of ailment
Preventive measures to prevent coughing attacks at night are sometimes of great importance. What to do:
- Prevent any contact with potential allergen carriers.
- Try to do wet cleaning in the apartment (or house) every other day.
- Sixty minutes before bedtime, the room should be well ventilated.
- Aromatherapy is a good helper in preventing coughing attacks (for example, peppermint, eucalyptus or laurel oil).
- Make sure that the child leads an active and healthy lifestyle (that is, less time spent in front of the computer in a stuffy room, and more physical exercise in the fresh air).
- It is necessary to organize a balanced diet for the child, in which foods with a high content of ascorbic acid should be present.
Do not forget that the health of the child is in your hands! In time, pay attention to the symptoms of ailments and seek help from specialists.