Why does cough&congestion get worse at night?
It’s night and you’re coughing. You can’t sleep and neither can those around you. The runny nose that emptied your tissue box during the day is now dripping into your throat and making your cough even more bothersome for you and everyone else in your house.Postnasal DripAccording to Dr. Gailen Marshall Jr. in “The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II,” postnasal drip “probably is to blame” if your cough becomes more pronounced while lying on your back—which is what many people are doing at night.Sinus InfectionsIn the same book, Dr. Howard Silk, a professor of pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia, noted that infections of the sinus glands, especially in children, can make coughing more pronounced at night.Other Possible CausesSeveral more serious conditions could be causing night coughing, according to Wrong Diagnosis, including a cough called croup caused by the humidity in the night air; acid reflux, which pushes stomach contents into air passages; pertussis; and whooping cough
