Baby Cough at Night: What Helps and When to Call

It’s 2 a.m., your baby was fine all day, and now every few minutes a cough wakes them (and you) again. If you’ve searched baby cough at night, you probably want to know three things: is this normal, what can you safely do right now, and when should you call the pediatrician. Short answer: a cough from a cold often seems worse at night, and most of the time gentle care at home is enough. Below you’ll find a simple night cough check, what the AAP, CDC and FDA say helps (and what to skip), and the signs that need a doctor.

This guide is part of our baby health and safety section. For colds in general, see our guide to baby cold remedies.

Quick answer: baby cough at night

Often a cold: coughs that come with a runny or stuffy nose are usually from a cold. The CDC says colds usually last less than a week, and the NHS says a cough can take 3 to 4 weeks to clear up.
What can help: saline nose drops and gentle suction before feeds and sleep, plenty of breast milk or formula, and a clean cool-mist humidifier if the air is dry (AAP, CDC, FDA).
Skip: over-the-counter cough and cold medicines (the FDA does not recommend them under age 2, and the AAP does not recommend them for babies and young children), honey before age 1, and pillows or wedges to prop your baby up.
Sleep: keep your baby on their back on a firm, flat surface, even with a cough (AAP).
Call your pediatrician for trouble or fast breathing, signs of dehydration, a fever in a baby under 3 months, or a cough that gets worse or doesn’t improve. Call 911 if your baby is struggling to breathe, turns blue or gray, or has pauses in breathing.

Why does my baby cough more at night?

Many parents notice a cold cough seems worse at night. Your baby is lying down for longer stretches, a stuffy nose makes sleep lighter, and in a quiet house every cough is easy to hear. What matters most is not how often your baby coughs, but how they breathe, drink and act in between.

Some coughs need a closer look. Barking coughs, wheezing, coughing fits, or a cough with fast or hard breathing are different from a simple cold cough. The table below helps you sort them.

The night cough check: 4 questions

When the cough wakes your baby, take a breath and go through these four questions. They are based on the warning signs the CDC and AAP list.

Question	Reassuring	Call your pediatrician
1. How is your baby breathing between coughs?	Calm, at a normal pace, no pulling in at the ribs	Fast breathing, working hard to breathe, or wheezing. Struggling to breathe, blue or gray lips, or pauses in breathing: call 911.
2. Is your baby drinking and having wet diapers?	Feeding a little less but still feeding, diapers wet as usual	Not drinking enough, far fewer wet diapers, or other signs of dehydration
3. Is there a fever, and how old is your baby?	No fever, or a mild fever in an older baby who is still playful between naps	Any temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher in a baby younger than 3 months, or a fever lasting more than 4 days
4. How long, and which way is it going?	Slowly getting better	No better after 10 days, or better and then worse again

If your answers all sit in the left column, home care is a reasonable plan for tonight. If any answer lands on the right, call your pediatrician, even in the middle of the night. Many offices have an after-hours line.

What the cough sounds like

What you hear	What it can be	Read more
Cough with a runny or stuffy nose, otherwise OK	Often a common cold	Baby cold remedies
Barking, seal-like cough, sometimes a harsh sound when breathing in	Can be croup	Croup in babies
Wheezing, fast breathing, a baby who is more tired than usual	Can be bronchiolitis, often caused by RSV	Bronchiolitis in babies and RSV in babies
Coughing fits, or a young baby with pauses in breathing	The CDC says many babies with whooping cough don’t cough at all and may have pauses in breathing instead	Seek care right away for breathing difficulties
Cough with spitting up, mostly after feeds	Talk to your pediatrician if it happens often	Baby reflux

Only a doctor can tell what is causing your baby’s cough. Use the table to know what to mention when you call, not to diagnose at home.

How to help a baby with a cough at night

Clear the nose before feeds and sleep. The AAP suggests saline (salt water) nose drops to loosen dried mucus, then gentle suction with a bulb syringe. For babies, try to do this before breast or bottle feeds.
Keep the fluids coming. The AAP says breastfeeding is still recommended for babies with colds, and staying hydrated helps keep mucus thinner. Offer feeds more often if your baby takes less each time.
Add moisture to dry air. If the air in your home is dry, the AAP suggests a humidifier. The CDC says to use a clean humidifier or cool-mist vaporizer, and the FDA advises against warm-mist humidifiers. Clean it as the manufacturer advises and keep it out of your baby’s reach.
Treat discomfort, not the number. The AAP says to treat a fever only if it makes your child uncomfortable. If you want to give a fever reducer, ask your pediatrician which one suits your baby’s age and the right dose. See our guide to acetaminophen vs ibuprofen for babies.
Keep sleep safe. Back to sleep, on a firm, flat surface, with nothing else in the crib. Keep your baby close so you can hear them; room sharing is recommended by the AAP for at least the first 6 months.

More tips for broken nights in our guide to caring for a sick baby at night.

What not to do

No over-the-counter cough or cold medicine. The FDA does not recommend these products for children younger than 2 because of the risk of serious side effects, and the AAP says they are not recommended for babies and young children.
No honey before 12 months. The AAP says honey won’t help a baby’s symptoms and can cause infant botulism. More in can babies have honey.
Don’t prop your baby up. Pillows, wedges and inclined sleepers are not safe for sleep. The AAP says any surface that inclines more than 10 degrees isn’t safe for a baby to sleep on.
No warm-mist or steam humidifiers in a baby’s room. MedlinePlus notes warm-mist units can cause burns.

When to talk to your doctor

Your baby has trouble breathing or is breathing fast (CDC).
Your baby is younger than 3 months and has a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher (AAP).
Your baby isn’t drinking enough or has far fewer wet diapers (CDC).
A fever lasts more than 4 days, or symptoms last more than 10 days without getting better (CDC).
The cough or fever improves and then comes back or gets worse (CDC).
Your young baby seems unusually irritable or much less active. The CDC says in very young infants with RSV, these and breathing difficulties may be the only symptoms.
Your baby has violent coughing fits (CDC), wheezing, or a barking cough.
The cough has lasted more than 3 weeks (NHS).
Call 911 if your baby is struggling to breathe, has blue or gray lips or skin, has pauses in breathing, or can’t be woken.

Not sure? Call anyway. Our list of when to call the pediatrician covers other symptoms too.

Frequently asked questions

Is it normal for a baby to cough only at night?

A cold cough that seems worse at night is common. If your baby breathes comfortably, feeds and has wet diapers, home care is usually fine. A cough that keeps coming back at night for weeks, or that comes with wheezing, is worth a visit to your pediatrician.

My baby is coughing at night but has no fever. Should I worry?

No fever is reassuring, but it isn’t the only thing that matters. Go through the night cough check: breathing, drinking, age and the direction things are going. Breathing trouble needs a call even without a fever.

Can I give my baby cough medicine?

No over-the-counter cough or cold medicine. The FDA does not recommend these for children under 2, and the AAP does not recommend them for babies and young children. Saline drops, suction, fluids and a clean cool-mist humidifier are the safer options.

Can teething cause a cough at night?

We couldn’t find official guidance that links teething to coughing. Because many babies teethe and catch colds at the same age, it’s safest to treat a cough on its own and use the night cough check. See our teething guide for the usual teething signs.

Should I raise the head of the crib?

No. The AAP says babies should sleep flat on their backs, and that any surface inclined more than 10 degrees isn’t safe for sleep. Clear the nose before sleep instead.

How long does a baby’s cough last?

The CDC says colds usually last less than a week, while the NHS says a cough usually clears up within 3 to 4 weeks. Call your pediatrician if symptoms last more than 10 days without getting better, or if the cough lasts more than 3 weeks.

Does a humidifier help a baby’s cough?

The AAP suggests a humidifier if the air in your home is dry, because moist air keeps mucus from drying out. The FDA says a cool-mist humidifier can make breathing easier by decreasing congestion. Choose cool mist, keep it clean and out of reach, and don’t expect it to treat the illness itself.

Browse more guides on our baby health and safety page.

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Sources

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you’re worried about your baby, call your pediatrician, or 911 in an emergency.