Before going to bed, the child often begins to cough, dry or wet. Additional symptoms will help determine the cause of its occurrence. It can be physiological or a manifestation of an infectious disease. Why a cough has appeared, and whether drug treatment is necessary, the doctor will answer after examining the baby.
Baby coughs in bed
Cough while lying down
Often, parents notice that the child is coughing before going to bed and in the morning. The rest of the time the baby is healthy, he has an excellent mood and excellent appetite. Coughing while lying down is usually due to mucus collecting in the throat. It stagnates, prevents the baby from breathing. As a result, coughing reflexively begins.
Mucus is formed in both children and adults. With colds, infectious diseases, physiological processes, its amount increases. The kid cannot swallow it, so he clears his throat. In the morning, it changes body position and clears the airways. If at other times the cough does not bother the child, then you should not worry.
Types of cough
Dust particles, various pungent odors can irritate the throat mucosa. This is how a dry cough appears. The child feels tickling and cannot suppress it in any other way. A physiological runny nose, a change in body position usually lead to a wet cough. After it comes relief, sputum leaves. It is not debilitating, paroxysmal, unlike the unproductive dry cough.
Why does a cough occur before bed
If the baby begins to cough when going to bed, you should pay attention to the situation in the room, the things that surround the child:
- Baby bedding. It is necessary that it is sewn from natural materials that cannot cause irritation and allergies. The same goes for pajamas, in which the baby goes to sleep;
- Washing powder or fabric softener, especially if previously unfamiliar brand was used during washing;
- New toys that have recently appeared in the child, in particular, those that he takes to his bed;
- Indoor temperature and humidity;
- Foreign odors.
A cough before bedtime can appear as a result of allergies, or be a symptom of an infectious disease, an inflammatory process. In any case, you should consult a pediatrician. It happens that children develop asthma, while coughing occurs first in the evening and at night.
Note! If the baby is allergic, then, in addition to coughing, other symptoms will appear. Usually children begin to sneeze, their eyes turn red, watery.
Prerequisites for the development of cough
The following factors can provoke a cough before bedtime in a child:
- The room is stuffy, the air is too dry. Children after illness are especially susceptible to such conditions. Their mucous membrane reacts sharply to uncomfortable conditions in the house. When a child is in a room with low humidity, his throat becomes irritated and he begins to cough;
- Unpleasant smelling laundry or using detergents that your baby is allergic to;
- Nasal congestion, due to which the baby has to breathe through the mouth, which, even with optimal humidity in the room, leads to drying out of the mucous membrane;
- A runny nose causing mucus to accumulate in the back of the throat. It doesn't matter if it is physiological or a symptom of a cold, an increase in discharge leads to a reflex cough. In the first case, the cough does not need to be treated. Snot appears when the baby just adapts to the environment, passes on its own and does not lead to complications. If the baby is sick, other symptoms are also observed, for example, body temperature rises, appetite disappears, breathing changes. It may become intermittent, shortness of breath will appear, wheezing and whistling will be heard.
If the child continues to cough during the night, it is worth seeing a doctor to rule out whooping cough. An infectious disease begins this way, while during the day the baby can remain active and mobile, look completely healthy.
Healthy and active child
It is necessary to exclude the presence of digestive problems in the little one. If the baby has heartburn during the day, and overeats at night, then it is possible that the cough is a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux.
How to help with a coughing fit
If the child coughs after going to bed, then you need to raise the head of his bed and give the baby warm water. It is not recommended to put large pillows under the head of the crumbs; you need to place a rolled towel under the mattress. The head should be higher than the body so that mucus does not linger in the throat.
If the attack intensifies, the baby cannot clear his throat, then you need to pick him up, sit down or pick him up so that he is in an upright position. It is necessary to open the window, letting fresh air into the room, watching that the baby does not blow. If the baby does not get better, he cannot fall asleep, go to the bath with him, turning on hot water. Moist air will help suppress the attack. When the house is too hot and stuffy, it is recommended to purchase a humidifier. In the absence of such an opportunity, wet diapers and sheets will help to improve comfort. They are hung around the room.
Note! Inhalation with saline will ease the child's condition. They can be done without a doctor's prescription. If the crumbs previously had a false croup, then it is worth stocking up on medicines recommended by a doctor. It is possible that edema may recur.
With a constant cough in a child in the evening, it is worth excluding allergies by giving the baby an antihistamine in an approved dosage. Just in case, you need to replace bed linen, pajamas, refuse new washing powder if it was purchased recently.
What not to do
During an attack, you cannot panic. Parents should pull themselves together and calm the baby right away, otherwise his condition may worsen.
Mom soothes the baby
If a child coughs while going to bed, do not wrap him up, fearing that he has a cold. Even so, the baby should be in a cool, high humidity environment. The only danger is drafts. If a child overheats, the risk of complications only increases.
When the crumbs have a temperature, you cannot do massage and any warming up procedures. This concerns rubbing the chest, steaming the legs. Such events can aggravate the situation, even folk remedies must be agreed with a doctor.
You cannot give your baby cough medicine without a doctor's prescription. For the first time, it is enough to moisturize the mucous membranes and water the crumbs abundantly. If the baby gets worse, you need to call an ambulance.
When to call an ambulance
The child needs urgent medical attention in the following cases:
- Shortness of breath appears, the voice becomes hoarse, hoarse, the baby convulsively gasps for air;
- Body temperature rises rapidly;
- Rashes appeared on the body;
- It will not be possible to relieve a coughing attack;
- The skin around the lips and nose has become pale, has acquired a bluish tint;
- Vomiting begins.
It is impossible to hesitate with treatment, especially if the baby does not stop coughing during the day. The smaller the child, the more dangerous the consequences can be. If there are warning signs, changes in the child's mood, appetite, and his usual behavior, you cannot postpone the visit to the doctor. When calling an ambulance, you should not refuse hospitalization if the medical staff insists on additional examination.
Komarovsky's opinion
Children's doctor Komarovsky believes that parents heal their children by trying to eliminate any cough. They do not look for the reasons why it arose, and give medicines indiscriminately, using them on the advice of relatives and neighbors. Often, in order to save the baby from coughing, you need to provide him with comfortable conditions at home and drink plenty of water, do wet cleaning in the room every day and ventilate. You can not deprive the baby of fresh air, especially if he is sick. Do not forget about walking. It is good to be outside if the baby is feeling well and his body temperature is normal.
Kid on a walk
If a child coughs a little when he goes to bed, it is logical that his head and body are on the same level. Sometimes it is enough to turn the baby over to the other side so that the mucus glass and does not interfere with the baby's breathing. It is more convenient to raise the head of the bed.
Note! When a child's temperature rises, he has a severe cough during the day, he does not eat and sleep well, it is worth going to the doctor.
Prevention
Recommendations will help to exclude the child's coughing before going to bed:
- Every day to be with the baby in the fresh air. It is better to spend at least two hours outdoors;
- Monitor a healthy diet and sleep quality of the baby, which is necessary to maintain the body's defenses;
- Create comfortable conditions at home, namely, maintain the temperature in the region of 20-22 degrees, the humidity should not be lower than 50 percent;
- Air the room at night, get rid of dust every day. It is better not to keep carpets and an abundance of soft toys, decorative pillows, and blankets at home. The number of dust collectors should be kept to a minimum;
- Protect the baby from unpleasant odors, primarily tobacco smoke;
- Buy clothes and bed linen made of high quality and natural materials;
- Carefully choose detergents for washing children's clothes;
- Observe the drinking regime.
Child drinks water
A child's cough before bed is usually not a symptom of a serious illness. It is enough to offer him water and drip saline into his nose to relieve an attack. The toddler needs fresh, cool and moist air, no matter if he is healthy or has recently recovered from a cold. Comfortable conditions and daily walks will reduce the risk of developing infectious diseases. If the baby develops alarming symptoms, the cough becomes severe, painful and does not bring relief, you need to see a doctor.
