Whooping cough that seems worse at night

Lying down, a dry bedroom, nasal drainage, and fewer daytime distractions can make coughing feel worse after bedtime. With whooping cough, repeated coughs may build into a fit, sometimes followed by vomiting or a difficult breath in. The illness can present with night disturbance, yet the same pattern can occur during the day. A clinician looks at how the cough behaves over time, not only when it happens.

Keep a short note of the time of attacks, what wakes the person, whether there is vomiting, and how breathing sounds afterwards. Offer fluids in small amounts if coughing makes drinking difficult, and avoid smoke or strong fragrances around the person. Arrange medical advice when fits are increasing, sleep is badly affected, or there has been exposure to a person with whooping cough. Keep babies away from someone with an unexplained severe cough until they have been assessed.

Call for urgent medical care if there is laboured breathing, a pause in breathing, blue or grey colour around the lips or face, fainting, or trouble staying awake. An infant with poor feeding, fewer wet nappies, or a new change in breathing needs urgent assessment. These signs are urgent even if the cough appears only after dark.

Ask what features point toward whooping cough or another cause, whether testing is useful, and what you can do to reduce spread at home. Ask whether any medicine is appropriate for the person’s age and symptoms.