Dry cough when lying down: what to know

Lying flat can make stomach contents move upward and irritate the throat, as in Acid Reflux. Mucus draining from the nose or sinuses can also trigger coughing after you recline, particularly with Allergic Rhinitis or a Common Cold. A cough that comes with wheeze, chest tightness, or early-morning symptoms can occur with Asthma. A recent respiratory infection may leave the airways sensitive after other symptoms improve.

Notice whether the cough follows meals, occurs only in bed, or is accompanied by sour taste, blocked nose, wheezing, fever, or breathlessness. A cough that continues beyond the expected recovery of an infection, or keeps returning, merits an assessment for Chronic Cough and other causes.

Keep your head and upper body raised rather than lying completely flat, and avoid eating close to bedtime if meals seem to trigger the cough. Sip water, use a humidified room if the air is dry, and avoid smoke, perfume, and dusty air. Treat nasal congestion according to advice from a pharmacist or clinician; do not start antibiotics or someone else’s inhaler without guidance.

Seek urgent help for severe breathing difficulty, blue or grey lips, confusion, fainting, chest pain, or coughing blood. Arrange prompt medical review for fever with worsening cough, wheezing that is new or difficult to control, repeated night waking, or a cough that is persistent or getting worse. Children, older adults, pregnant people, and people with lung or heart disease may need earlier advice.

Could reflux, nasal drainage, Asthma, or another airway problem explain my night cough? What symptoms should prompt urgent care, and which medicines are suitable with my current conditions?