{"id":8825,"date":"2020-03-04T09:00:08","date_gmt":"2020-03-04T14:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=8825"},"modified":"2025-10-21T14:10:44","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T18:10:44","slug":"stop-coughing-at-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/stop-coughing-at-night\/","title":{"rendered":"How to stop a night cough with OTC medications and home remedies"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever had a respiratory illness, you know this feeling: You lie down in bed, eager to catch some much-needed zzz\u2019s, when suddenly you\u2019re hacking away, tossing and turning, and watching your chance of getting a good night\u2019s sleep fly out the window.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What\u2019s worse, viral infections aren\u2019t even the <\/span>only<\/span><\/i> reason for nighttime coughs. Everything from upper airway irritations and postnasal drip to acid reflux and other common health conditions can leave you coughing at night instead of snoozing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thankfully, there are many easy ways to fight back against nighttime coughing. With an arsenal of over-the-counter medications, environmental changes, and simple at-home cough remedies, you can turn your restless nights into restful (and cough-free!) ones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why am I coughing at night?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The first step to stopping a nighttime cough is figuring out why you have it, says Apurvi Thekdi, MD, an ear, nose, and throat specialist at Houston Methodist. Since treatments vary for different types of coughs, you need to know the root cause.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Thekdi says it\u2019s also important to pay attention to the kind of cough you have (wet or dry, sporadic or spastic), any related symptoms (like voice changes or trouble swallowing), and any possible triggers, such as changes to your diet or environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re ready to play detective, here are some of the common causes of coughing at night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Common cold<\/span><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ve got a cold. You\u2019re sneezing and have a runny nose, but thankfully you\u2019re not coughing…until you lie down to sleep. Why do coughs get worse at night when you\u2019re sick? Because lying flat on your back or side to sleep allows the excess mucus from your illness to pool in the back of the throat and in the chest.<\/span><\/p>\n

Asthma<\/span><\/h3>\n

Dr. Thekdi says certain types of asthma can lead to a chronic cough, which may become worse at night. There is also a kind of asthma called <\/span>cough-variant asthma<\/span><\/a>, where the <\/span>only<\/span><\/i> symptom is a cough (i.e., there\u2019s no wheezing, difficulty breathing, or shortness of breath). Over-the-counter cough medicine does not work for this type of asthma. An inhaler is often required.<\/span><\/p>\n

Postnasal drip<\/span><\/h3>\n

Whether it\u2019s because of <\/span>seasonal allergies<\/span><\/a>, sinusitis, nasal polyps, or some other viral illness, postnasal drip is one of the biggest culprits of a nighttime cough. All that phlegm has to go somewhere, right? News flash: It\u2019s going down the back of your throat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your environment\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Common allergens and irritants\u2014such as dust mites, cigarette smoke, mold spores, pet dander, cockroaches, and pollen\u2014can be enough to trigger a persistent cough every time you snuggle up for sleep. This is one of the primary reasons why you might only experience coughing at night (and not during the day).<\/span><\/p>\n

GI-related illness\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

What does your gastrointestinal system have to do with coughing? A lot, if you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as acid reflux. When you lie down after eating, the same stomach contents that usually cause <\/span>heartburn and nausea<\/span><\/a> during the day can reach as far as the back of your throat, setting off a cough reflex (and, sometimes, a sore throat).<\/span><\/p>\n

Certain medications\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

When you\u2019re sick and clogged with mucus, you might take an expectorant to loosen things up. But if you take one too close to bedtime, you could spend half your night coughing up all that thinned-out phlegm. Meanwhile, other medications like beta blockers and <\/span>ACE inhibitors<\/span><\/a>, list coughing as a potential side effect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some serious conditions\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re coughing at night, one of the above reasons is likely to be the cause. That said, there are some serious conditions that could be the source of your cough.<\/span><\/p>\n