How to Sleep with a Cough

3 Min Read | By Shannan Humphrey

Last Modified 27 October 2025   First Added 27 October 2025

This article was written and reviewed in line with our editorial policy.

That persistent cough doesn’t have to rob you of precious sleep. While nighttime can amplify every tickle and wheeze, making rest feel out of reach, there are gentle ways to soothe your symptoms and reclaim your slumber. From clever positioning tricks to natural remedies, these simple strategies can help quieten the cough and let you drift off more peacefully.

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1. Soothe your throat with a lozenge

Reducing irritation can calm your cough reflex. Try sucking on a lozenge, as this helps your throat feel less tickly, making it easier to relax. You can do this before you get into bed or keep a packet on hand if you feel a cough coming on while trying to sleep.

2. Elevate your head

Sleeping flat can cause mucus to build up in the throat, triggering coughing. Elevating your head with extra pillows can help keep your airways open, minimising coughing.

3. Change your sleep position

Sleeping on your side rather than your back can help mucus drain more effectively. This position may reduce coughing episodes during the night.

Related: What is the Best Sleeping Position?

4. Avoid sleeping with a fan

Sleeping with the fan on can dry out your throat and trigger more coughing. Point any airflow away from your face – you want gentle circulation, not a wind tunnel aimed at your airways.

5. Clear your airways

Before bed, gently blow your nose and take a warm bath or shower to help loosen any mucus. Inhaling steam can make breathing easier and reduce congestion. A clearer airway means fewer coughing triggers.

6. Use a humidifier

Dry air can irritate your airways and make a cough feel worse. A humidifier adds moisture to the air, helping to soothe your throat and reduce coughing. It’s especially helpful during colder months when the heat dries out the room.

7. Stay hydrated

Drinking enough water throughout the day keeps mucus thinner and easier to manage. Dehydration can make your throat feel scratchy, which often leads to coughing fits. Just avoid large amounts right before bed to minimise nighttime bathroom trips.

Related: The Benefits of Drinking Water Before Bed

8. Make a warm drink

A warm drink, such as honey and lemon or herbal tea, can soothe the throat and relax your chest. Honey may help reduce coughing in both adults and children over 12 months old. Try to drink it around an hour before bed. Get inspired by our list of the best drinks before bed to help you sleep.

Honey and lemon tea to help coughing at night

9. Manage allergies

If allergies are causing your cough, your bedding or bedroom air may be the problem. Dusting regularly, avoiding pet hair in the bedroom, switching to an anti-allergy mattress, and upgrading to hypoallergenic bedding can make a noticeable difference. For more tips, read our guide to how to sleep better during allergy season.

10. Take medication

Over-the-counter cough medicine may help reduce nighttime coughing. If you take a chesty cough medicine, it’s best to use it earlier in the evening so it doesn’t make you cough just before bed. If you’re congested, you can also apply VapoRub to your chest to help open your airways, making breathing more comfortable.

Nighttime coughing FAQs

There are different types of coughs, from a dry, tickly cough to a chesty, mucus-producing one. Each can have different triggers, and certain conditions may only flare up while you rest. Here are some of the main reasons you might be coughing at night:

  • Common cold – Viral infections cause throat irritation and mucus buildup, which often worsens when you lie down.
  • The flu – Flu symptoms like congestion, sore throat, and chest tightness can trigger frequent coughing fits at night.
  • Asthma – Airway inflammation makes breathing harder when you’re lying flat, often worsening coughing, wheezing, or chest tightness.
  • Allergies – Dust, pollen, pet dander, or other allergens in your bedroom can irritate your nasal passages and throat, causing coughing at night.
  • Smoking – Long-term smoking damages your airways and increases mucus production, often causing a persistent “smoker’s cough” that’s worse when you lie down.
  • Postnasal drip – Mucus from your sinuses can flow down the back of your throat while you sleep, triggering a tickly or chesty cough.
  • Acid reflux – Stomach acid can travel up the oesophagus when you’re lying down, irritating your throat and provoking a cough.

Understanding the type of cough and its cause can help you choose the right strategies for sleeping more comfortably and reducing nighttime symptoms.

When you lie flat, mucus pools in your throat instead of draining properly, triggering more coughing. Dry air, temperature changes, and allergens like dust mites lurking in your bedding all compound the problem, creating the perfect storm for nighttime irritation.

Deep sleep usually reduces the coughing reflex, so no, you can’t cough when asleep. Most coughing happens when you’re trying to sleep, lightly asleep or waking up.

Most coughs improve within 1–2 weeks, and some tend to linger after illness, which is normal. Seek help if:

  • Your cough persists longer than 8 weeks
  • You develop breathlessness, wheezing or chest pain
  • You have a high fever that won’t settle
  • You’re coughing up blood
  • A child is struggling to breathe, sleep or showing signs of distress

Coughing at night doesn’t have to steal your sleep. By soothing your throat, adjusting your sleep position, managing allergies, and staying hydrated, you can make nights more comfortable and give your body the rest it needs to recover. Remember, persistent or severe coughs should always be checked by a doctor to rule out underlying conditions.

About the author

Shannan Humphrey

See all articles by Shannan Humphrey

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