Last updated: October 2026
A cough often gets worse at night because lying flat lets mucus drip down the back of your throat and lets stomach acid creep up, while asthma, dust mites and warm, dry bedroom air can add to it. Prop yourself up, try a warm honey and lemon drink, and see a GP if it lasts more than 3 weeks.
Below: the causes and their clues, 10 things to try tonight, the truth about vapour rub on your feet, and when to get help.
Why do coughs get worse at night?
Most coughs come from a cold or flu, and the NHS lists smoking, acid reflux, allergies such as hay fever, infections and mucus dripping down the throat from the back of the nose as other common causes. Several of these are made worse by bedtime itself:
- Lying flat. Mucus from a cold or catarrh can collect at the back of your throat (postnasal drip), and the NHS says reflux symptoms are often worse when lying down.
- Your body clock. The NHS says asthma symptoms, including coughing, may be worse at night and early in the morning.
- Your bedroom. Dust mites live in bedding and mattresses, and heating can leave the air warm and dry. See our guide to dust mite allergy.
- Drifting off and waking up. In a sleep lab study of people with severe chronic bronchitis, 85% of night-time coughing bouts happened while they were awake, and coughing in deep sleep was rare. That fits what many people notice: the cough is worst as you settle and when you wake.
Causes of a cough at night: clues and what helps
More than one cause is often present, according to NICE’s guidance for GPs. Use this table as a guide, not a diagnosis.
| Cause | Clues | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Cold, flu or other virus | Blocked or runny nose, sore throat, started in the last week or two | Rest, fluids, honey and lemon (over 1s), propping yourself up. See how to sleep with a cold |
| Postnasal drip (catarrh) | Feeling of mucus dripping down your throat, constant throat clearing | Sip water, salt water nose rinses, steam or a humidifier |
| Acid reflux | Heartburn, sour taste, hoarse voice, worse after late meals | No food 3 to 4 hours before bed, raise the head of the bed, ask a pharmacist |
| Asthma | Wheeze, tight chest, breathlessness, worse at night and early morning | See a GP or asthma nurse; don’t put up with it |
| Allergies (dust mites, pets, mould) | Sneezing, itchy eyes, worse in bed or first thing | Wash bedding at 60C, keep humidity down, pharmacy allergy treatments |
| Dry, heated air | Tickly throat, dry mouth on waking | Don’t overheat the bedroom, open a window for a while each day |
| Smoking or second-hand smoke | Long-standing cough, often with phlegm | Stopping smoking; see a GP if it won’t go |
| ACE inhibitor blood pressure tablets (such as ramipril) | Dry, persistent cough that started after the medicine | Talk to your doctor; don’t stop the medicine yourself |
| Whooping cough | Coughing bouts lasting minutes, worse at night, sometimes a “whoop” | See a GP or call 111 |
| Heart failure (less common) | Breathless lying down, swollen ankles, frothy pink phlegm | Urgent GP appointment or 111 |
Why do I cough at night when I lie down?
The two most common reasons are postnasal drip and acid reflux, and the clues are different.
Postnasal drip feels like mucus slowly dripping down the back of your throat, with a frequent need to swallow or cough to clear it. The NHS says catarrh usually follows a cold, flu or sinusitis and often lasts a few days, sometimes longer.
Acid reflux can cause a cough or hiccups that keep coming back, a hoarse voice and a sour taste, and the NHS says the symptoms are often worse after eating, when lying down and when bending over. You don’t always get obvious heartburn. Our guide to the best sleeping position covers sleeping with reflux.
Less often, a cough that comes on when you lie down is linked to the heart or lungs. The NHS lists coughing at night and feeling breathless when lying down as possible heart failure symptoms, so get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if you notice either.
Dry cough at night
A dry, tickly cough at night (one that brings up little or no phlegm) commonly hangs on after a cold. NICE’s guidance for GPs says a cough lasting 3 to 8 weeks is most often a lingering cough after an infection. Other causes worth thinking about:
- Asthma, especially if you also wheeze or feel tight-chested.
- Reflux, even without heartburn.
- ACE inhibitors. The NHS lists a dry, persistent cough as a common side effect of ramipril, affecting more than 1 in 100 people, and says cough medicines don’t usually help it. Talk to your doctor if it carries on or stops you sleeping, as another medicine may suit you better.
- Dry air and mouth breathing. Heated air often feels dry and irritating, although research on low humidity and the airways is mixed. A blocked nose that makes you breathe through your mouth at night can dry your throat further.
How to stop coughing at night: 10 things to try
- Prop yourself up. An extra pillow can ease a cold-related cough. For reflux, the NHS suggests raising the head of the bed by 10 to 20cm instead, as extra pillows can press on your belly.
- Have a warm honey and lemon drink. The NHS recipe is half a lemon and 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey in a mug of hot water, drunk warm. Never give honey to babies under 12 months.
- Rest and drink plenty of fluids.
- Keep water by the bed. The NHS suggests sipping ice-cold water when you need to clear your throat, rather than coughing.
- Loosen mucus with a steamy bathroom before bed or a humidifier. If you have a dust mite allergy, keep bedroom humidity below 50%.
- Keep the bedroom cool and aired, with clean bedding. See the best temperature for sleep.
- Eat earlier. If you get reflux, the NHS says not to eat within 3 or 4 hours of bed, and to go easy on alcohol. See alcohol and sleep.
- Avoid smoke. Smoking is a common cause of cough, and the NHS says it can make cold symptoms worse.
- Ask a pharmacist. The NHS says cough syrups and sweets won’t stop a cough but may help you cough less. NICE lists pelargonium (a herbal medicine) and cough medicines with guaifenesin or a non-codeine cough suppressant (over 12s) as having limited evidence of some benefit, while antihistamines, decongestants and codeine don’t appear to help the cough. Mention any other medicines you take.
- Don’t ignore a cough that wakes you every night. The NHS says to see a GP if asthma symptoms are waking you up.
Does honey really work? A Cochrane review of six trials in 899 children found honey probably reduces how often children cough compared with no treatment or a placebo, mainly in the first few days. An Oxford review of 14 studies found honey eased cough frequency and severity compared with usual care, though the authors called for better trials.
Catching one cold after another? See cold or flu, supporting your immune system, vitamin C and zinc.
Does vapour rub on your feet stop a cough?
Rubbing menthol vapour rub on your soles and putting socks on is one of the most shared cough tips online, often “proved” by a Canadian study. We couldn’t find any published study testing it, and pharmacist and fact-checking sources say the group supposedly behind it denies any knowledge of it. The maker of the best-known rub says its approved use for cough is on the chest and throat.
So why do people swear by it? The usual explanation is that you breathe in the menthol and camphor vapour, wherever it is applied. The research on that is small and mixed:
- A Sheffield study in 20 healthy volunteers found inhaled menthol reduced coughing set off on purpose in the lab.
- A Leicester study in 42 schoolchildren found menthol made noses feel clearer without changing airflow, and didn’t reduce coughing more than a placebo.
- The one trial of a vapour rub for night-time cough, in children aged 2 to 11, applied it to the chest and neck, not the feet, and found more skin irritation with the rub.
Our view: there’s no evidence the feet are the place for it, and warm socks and a calm bedtime may be doing much of the work. Always follow the age limits and directions on the pack.
How long does a cough last?
The NHS says a cough usually clears up on its own within 3 to 4 weeks. NICE’s guidance for GPs uses three time frames:
- Acute: less than 3 weeks, usually a cold or flu.
- Sub-acute: 3 to 8 weeks, most often a lingering cough after an infection.
- Chronic: more than 8 weeks, most often linked to smoking, postnasal drip, asthma, reflux or ACE inhibitors.
The NHS says antibiotics are not normally needed for a cough. NICE also lists obstructive sleep apnoea among the less common causes of a long-lasting cough, so mention loud snoring or pauses in breathing if you see a GP.
Getting some sleep while you have a cough
Keep your wake-up time steady, nap briefly if you need to, and give yourself an unhurried hour before bed. Our bedtime routine for adults walks through one, and why can’t I sleep? covers the other reasons nights go wrong.
No supplement will stop a cough, so treat this as part of a calm wind-down rather than a remedy. Our Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex is a berry-flavoured, caffeine-free bedtime drink with magnesium bisglycinate and citrate, L-theanine and chamomile. Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to normal functioning of the nervous system. It is for adults only; if you take regular medicines, check with your pharmacist first. Read more in magnesium for sleep.
Children coughing at night
For children, ask a pharmacist first and note:
- The MHRA says over-the-counter cough and cold medicines should not be given to children under 6, and the NHS says some cough medicines are not suitable under 12.
- Never give honey to babies under 12 months, and don’t give hot drinks to small children.
- Call 999 if a child is struggling to breathe, making grunting noises, sucking their stomach in under their ribs, or their lips or skin are turning very pale, blue or grey.
- Whooping cough can be serious. The NHS says to get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if a baby under 6 months has symptoms, such as coughing bouts that last a few minutes and are worse at night.
When to see a GP, call 111 or 999
See a GP if:
- you’ve had a cough for more than 3 weeks
- you’re losing weight for no reason
- you have a weakened immune system, for example from chemotherapy or diabetes
- your cough started after a new blood pressure medicine
Get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if:
- your cough is very bad or quickly getting worse, or you can’t stop coughing
- you’re coughing up blood
- you have chest pain, find it hard to breathe or feel very unwell
- the side of your neck is swollen and painful
- you feel breathless when lying down
Call 999 or go to A&E if you have severe difficulty breathing (gasping, choking or unable to get words out), your chest feels tight or heavy, pain spreads to your arms, back, neck or jaw, your lips or skin turn very pale, blue or grey, or you suddenly feel confused.
If reflux is behind your night-time cough, our guide to acid reflux at night covers triggers, sleeping position and when to see a GP.
If your throat is sore too, see our guide to sore throat remedies.
FAQs
Why does my cough get worse at night?
Lying flat lets mucus collect at the back of your throat and lets stomach acid travel upwards. Asthma is often worse at night, and dust mites and warm, dry bedroom air can irritate your airways too.
Why do I only cough when I lie down?
Postnasal drip and acid reflux are the most common reasons. If you also feel breathless when lying down or cough up frothy pink phlegm, get an urgent GP appointment or call 111.
Does vapour rub on your feet stop coughing?
There’s no published evidence that it does, and the Canadian study often quoted can’t be found. Any effect is more likely from breathing in the menthol vapour.
How long does a cough last?
The NHS says most coughs clear up on their own within 3 to 4 weeks. See a GP if yours lasts more than 3 weeks.
What is the best sleeping position for a cough?
Propped up, with your head higher than your chest. For reflux, the NHS suggests raising the head of the bed by 10 to 20cm rather than adding pillows.
When should I worry about a cough at night?
See a GP if it lasts over 3 weeks or you’re losing weight. Get urgent help if you’re coughing up blood, have chest pain or find it hard to breathe.
Sources
- NHS. Cough.
- NICE. Cough (acute): antimicrobial prescribing (NG120).
- NICE CKS. Cough: causes.
- NHS. Heartburn and acid reflux.
- NHS. Catarrh.
- NHS. Asthma.
- NHS. Side effects of ramipril.
- NHS. Heart failure.
- NHS. Shortness of breath.
- MHRA. Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children.
- Oduwole O et al (2018). Honey for acute cough in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
- Abuelgasim H et al (2021). Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.
- Power JT et al (1984). Nocturnal cough in patients with chronic bronchitis and emphysema. American Review of Respiratory Disease.
- Morice AH et al (1994). Effect of inhaled menthol on citric acid induced cough in normal subjects. Thorax.
- Kenia P et al (2008). Does inhaling menthol affect nasal patency or cough? Pediatric Pulmonology.
- Paul IM et al (2010). Vapor rub, petrolatum, and no treatment for children with nocturnal cough and cold symptoms. Pediatrics.
- Wolkoff P (2018). Indoor air humidity, air quality, and health: an overview. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Evopure makes the Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex.
