Parents are often frightened if a child coughs during sleep. In some cases, this is a normal physiological process by which the child's body clears the airways. It is important to be able to correctly distinguish a safe condition from a symptom of a disease or more complex problem.
In a dream, the baby may occasionally cough.
The mechanism of coughing, what is it for
Cough is a natural physiological process during which the respiratory tract is released from the irritant. This is a special defense mechanism of the body.
If a newborn coughs only in a dream, and there is no symptom during the day, then there may be several reasons. The baby rarely turns and turns in a dream, phlegm accumulates and begins to irritate the nasopharyngeal mucosa, which provokes a cough.
Often, a cough for no apparent reason causes dry air in the room. The mucous membranes dry out, a sore throat occurs, which provokes a cough.
Causes of cough in a child during sleep
When a newborn baby goes to bed, he coughs for various reasons. Sometimes these are natural physiological processes. It is considered normal if a child coughs no more than 15 times during sleep and wakefulness.
Gastrointestinal reflux
In this state, food particles that have entered the body move from the stomach to the esophagus. In addition, regurgitation with food pieces is observed.
Another symptom of the problem is the presence of heartburn. But only older children can tell about its presence.
Respiratory diseases
Colds are almost always accompanied by a cough. The symptom is observed throughout the day, but at night the attacks usually intensify, since the baby is constantly in a supine position.
On a note. Mucus and phlegm that accumulate in the bronchi irritate the mucous membranes, which provokes a cough, and the voice may wheeze.
With any colds and respiratory diseases (rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, adenoid), a dry cough first occurs, which gradually turns into a wet cough with the excretion of phlegm.
Helminthic invasion
Often in the presence of worms, a dry cough appears during sleep in a child. This happens because toxins released by parasites enter the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. They are irritants.
Despite the fact that parasites are concentrated in the digestive system, through the blood they can migrate to the lungs and leave their waste products there.
Foreign body
Small children are mobile and active. Adults do not always manage to follow them. Up to a year, babies try to send everything around into their mouths.
If during sleep the baby begins to have a strong coughing fit, then his oral cavity should be examined. If a foreign object is found, then the following actions are urgently performed:
- Tilt upside down.
- Pat on the back.
- If the object does not come out, then the child is forced to lie on the back.
- The palm is pressed between the solar plexus and the navel.
On a note. The pressure should not be too strong, but not too weak.
If you cannot remove a foreign object, then an ambulance team should be called, which will help to cope with the problem without harming the baby's health.
Teeth are being cut
Often the reason that the baby began to cough is the unpleasant and painful process of teething. Additional symptoms are:
- temperature rise;
- the appearance of snot;
- decreased appetite;
- bruxism;
- the processes of falling asleep are disrupted.
A normal physiological process is coughing during teething.
They cause a cough at night in a baby with a runny nose, crying and high activity of the salivary glands. The baby loses a lot of moisture, which leads to drying out of the mucous membranes.
Allergic cough
An allergic cough at night is most often seen in early spring or summer when everything is blooming. During this period, the doctor prescribes antihistamines to reduce allergic symptoms.
On a note. If the baby had no signs of allergy before, this does not mean that it could not manifest itself now.
Wet or dry air in the bedroom
The air in the room often leads to a night cough. The humidity level in the nursery should be medium.
If the humidity is too high, the room smells damp. Things feel soggy. It's hard to breathe in such a room. At low humidity, the surface of the mucous membranes dries out, breathing becomes difficult. As a result, a cough appears.
Special devices are used to humidify the air.
If the humidity of the room is high, then be sure to ventilate the room as often as possible. In dry air, special devices (humidifiers) are installed.
Other reasons
In rare cases, a heart cough occurs at night in infants. It is accompanied by chest pains, increased heart rate, shortness of breath. Sometimes fainting is possible.
If your baby starts coughing, it could be a sign of asthma or whooping cough. In the first case, a characteristic whistle is heard on inhalation. The attacks are very painful and prolonged, accompanied by vomiting, redness of the face, protruding tongue. The child is unable to clear his throat.
Parental actions during an attack
If coughing in a dream is not a concomitant symptom of the disease, then several methods can be used to fight:
- Place a container with a decoction of medicinal herbs (thyme, sage, chamomile) near the baby's bed. You can brew the raw materials separately or use a mixture. The vaporizing liquid will help prevent coughing attacks at night.
- Drink plenty of fluids. The baby is provided with plenty of fluid. As a drink, use a decoction of chamomile or dill water.
- You can speed up the processes of thinning phlegm with a warm wrap before bedtime. The diaper is soaked in olive or sunflower oil, and the baby is wrapped in it. Wrap with cling film on top.
- Inhalation with warm air. The bathroom is filled with hot water and the child is allowed to breathe in vapors. If you are not allergic, you can add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil to the water.
If the baby is sick and the cough is triggered by a certain disease, mucolytics, syrups, antibiotics are used, which the pediatrician should prescribe.
On a note. Antibiotics cannot be used at your own discretion. They can only be prescribed by a doctor.
What not to do
Often, when a child develops a cough at night, parents begin to self-medicate. If a cough is not a sign of a disease, then taking medication can only harm the baby.
You can not self-medicate
What not to do if a child coughs in a dream:
- give antibiotics and expectorants without a doctor's prescription;
- muffle the cough reflex with drugs;
- give children antihistamines without consulting a doctor;
- do inhalation and rubbing for newborns who are not six months old.
Self-medication can cause irreparable harm to newborn babies.
Why are coughing attacks dangerous for children?
Any coughing attack in a baby should not be ignored. If parents notice that the baby has difficulty sleeping due to seizures, then you should seek medical help.
On a note. For babies, coughing is dangerous because they are not able to roll over on their own. If sputum leaves, the crumb can choke on them.
Parents help to cope with seizures, then in the near future they turn to a doctor for advice. The doctor will help you find out the reason why you have a cough.
When you can't do without a doctor
There are situations when, when a cough occurs, it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance team:
- it is difficult for the child to breathe, he begins to choke;
- there is an elevated temperature;
- the baby cannot clear his throat;
- with a wet cough, a greenish or bloody discharge appeared.
You need to immediately seek help if there is at least one of the listed signs.
Komarovsky's opinion
The famous pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky urges parents to engage not in cough treatment, but in the disease that caused it. He believes that the rare coughing during sleep in a newborn is a natural physiological process during which the airways are cleared of mucus. It is necessary to consult a doctor if the cough intensifies, other symptoms of diseases are added, the child begins to wake up.
To reduce the likelihood of a nocturnal cough, you need to dress children for the weather, give them plenty of fluids, humidify the air at home, and walk in the fresh air. Moreover, a visit to the street should be in any weather. The kid is left at home if he is sick.
A child has to walk in the street every day
On a note. Hygiene is important for a child, but this does not mean that he himself and everyone around him should creak from cleanliness. Excessive sterility can also be harmful.
Prevention of cough during sleep
To prevent the appearance of a night cough in a child's sleep, following simple tips will help:
- Hand and face hygiene. Washing before meals, after the street and before going to bed for children should become a mandatory ritual.
- Proper nutrition. Improper nutrition weakens children's immunity and provokes the appearance of a nocturnal cough. They try to exclude fatty, heavy and sweet foods from baby food.
- Airing. Before going to bed, the room where the baby will sleep should be ventilated every evening. The chilled fresh air will help your baby fall asleep better.
- Physical activity. Outdoor games should be a part of children's daily entertainment.
- Vaccination. Vaccinations are performed according to plan.
- Daily regime. The immune system will function normally only if the daily routine is observed.
- Sleep in the afternoon. For young children, rest during the day is a must, as it recovers well.
Children's health needs to be treated very carefully
The appearance of a cough in a child in a dream does not always indicate serious problems. To understand its cause, one should observe the child's behavior, as well as analyze all the events that happened to him. Only a pediatrician can correctly establish the cause of the appearance of a nocturnal cough, having carried out the necessary diagnostic measures.
