How to sleep with a cough: 13 tips for sleeping soundly at night

When you’ve been battling the symptoms of a cough and cold all day, knowing how to sleep with a cough is essential as all you want to do come night time is crawl into bed and get a good night’s sleep in the hope that your symptoms will have miraculously disappeared when you wake up.

However, in reality most of us are kept awake half the night spluttering and sniffing with an irritating cough, or a stuffy congested nose, often leaving you - and your partner - feeling much worse come the morning!

If you're currently fighting off a flu or winter cold, we've compiled a list of Professor Alyn Morice, cough expert and Head of Cardiorespiratory Studies at Hull York Medical School, top tips on how to sleep with a cough.

How to sleep with a cough that's wet

Wet coughs are when you have a buildup of mucus on the chest, and the throat that you need to cough up.

Take a hot shower or bath before bed

Not only will it help you to relax, but the steam will help loosen the mucus and relieve congestion from your nose and chest. Breathe in the steam slowly for a few minutes then try coughing or blowing your nose to break up the mucus.

Try a warm drink

A nice hot beverage can help soothe your throat after all that coughing plus can loosen up mucus too. Try warm water with honey and lemon or a herbal tea. Aim to drink it an hour before you're planning to sleep.

How to sleep with a cough that's dry

Dry cough's aren't usually caused by mucus, usually being caused by asthma, GERD and other respiratory infections. If you're not sure of the cause, it's worth chatting to your doctor.

Take a cough suppressant

This will help reduce the urge to cough throughout the night as it prevents coughing by blocking your cough reflex

Stay hydrated

Make sure you keep hydrated throughout the day by regularly sipping water, which will soothe the cough reflex and also help with a sore throat.

Pick up some lozenges

Lozenges are easy to get hold of and come in a variety of different flavours. Many contain menthol to open up your sinuses while others contain vitamin C to soothe. Just be sure to finish it before you lie down to sleep.

Tips for a ticklish cough

These are usually the ones that can keep you up at night, and are often caused by allergies.

Wash the bedding

Dust mites, pet hair and other allergens lurk on your bedding, and if you suffer with allergies, they could add to the irritation on your respiratory tract. Make sure you wash your bedding at least once a week in hot water and make sure you use your hay fever remedies. You might also want to invest in some of the best bedding for allergy sufferers.

Control the humidity level

A humidifier can help you to breathe easier when you’re congested and can also stop your throat from becoming too dry while you sleep. Try and keep humidity levels at 50 per cent to stop the air from becoming too damp.

General advice on how to sleep with a cough

Prepare your bedside

The last thing you want to be doing in the middle of the night is fumbling around in the kitchen cupboard trying to find some medicine. Make sure you have some water, tissues, thermometer if you suspect you might have a flu and cough medicine on your bedside table to help soothe the cough if it starts to irritate you.

Rest and recuperate

When you’re feeling under the weather, a comfy bed, blankets and a dark room will help you sleep better. Make sure you put your phone and laptop away a good couple of hours before you go to bed to help you unwind, and avoid caffeine after 3pm.

Drink honey and lemon

This is a quick and easy homemade drink that has a similar effect to cough medicines and also helps soothe a sore throat naturally. The NHS suggests adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey to a mug of boiled water, along with half a squeezed lemon.

Sleep on an incline

All the mucus that builds up in your nose or throat while you lay down irritates your throat, so pop some extra pillows under your head and let gravity do its job, and don't forget a few sprays of .

Avoid laying on your back

Although sleeping on your back allows your lungs to breathe and expand, it can also make snoring much worse – especially if you’re congested! Try sleeping on your side to avoid your partner angrily waking you up in the middle of the night.

What can cause a cough?

There are many different things that can cause a cough. Here are some of the most common reasons you might be coughing:

• Allergies

• Asthma

• Cold or flu virus

• Bacterial infection (eg, pneumonia or bronchitis)

• Smoking

If you're not sure why you're coughing, then it's worth speaking to your doctor for some tests and seeing what the underlying cause is.

When to see a doctor for a cough

Usually a cough isn't anything to worry about and will clear up on its own. However, if your symptoms persist for more than 3 weeks you should seek medical advice as it could be a sign of something more serious. You should also make an appointment with your doctor if you notice you're coughing up an increased amount of phlegm, you have a fever or short-breath, you're vomiting, you're wheezing or you're experiencing weight-loss.

You should seek urgent medical attention if you have trouble breathing, cough up blood or have chest pains.

The best products to help you sleep better with a cough

Lorna White is a Senior Digital Writer at Yours.co.uk. She was previously a writer at Yours Magazine writing features and news stories before joining the digital team. Lorna loves the great British countryside and likes to spend her spare time out and about in her home of Nottinghamshire walking her dog, Pippin.