5yr old's cough won't let her sleep

[chinita129]

Last Monday DD5 had a fever for two days along with a nasty cough. We rested heavily both days and also gave her elderberry, Chestal with honey, echinaccea drops in her water and a cherry bark syrup. The fever went away after 2days but the cough won't go away. It's keeping her up at night so much she's exhausted during the day. We bought a Hylands version nighttime cough med which works a little but not enough. We switched to the Taiwan kids cough syrup and are still doing the other remedies. I'm fine with letting the sickness take it's course but need her to be able to sleep. Any ideas to soothe her cough?

[riverundine]

Is it a dry cough or a productive cough?

[Ethelpea]

My daughter has a bad cough.  Like your daughter, she did have a fever for a few days, now is left with only the cough which is worse (of course) at night (and outside in the cold).  Two things help her: 1.  a hot water bottle on her chest at night and 2.  a warm mist humidifier (the Vick's one) with the well filled up with eucalyptus oil and that vick's liquid steam medication.  These two things pretty much eliminate her night time cough.  Make sure you place the humidifier as close as safely possible to your daughter.

[riverundine]

eucalyptus is greatly helpful in a humidifier. i combine ours with pinon-juniper and lavender. the conifer essential oils are wonderful at helping to heal the respiratory system. lavender helps as an antimicrobial as well as a nervine sedative.

unker's on the soles of the kids feet for nighttime cough can be very helpful.

*if* it's a dry cough, demulcents are crucial, i.e. slippery elm, marshmallow root, licorice, irish moss, and shatavari. sooth the mucous membranes. you could make honey pills with one or more of them. you could make a slippery elm porridge. you could add a small amount of slippery elm to her drinking water. or make a tea with any demulcent you feel drawn to. throat coat tea before bed can be helpful. 

[chinita129]

It's nit productive at all. Thank you for the suggestions. Definitely a few things I haven't tried. I've done eucalyptus before but it seems to irritate her. I'm wondering if I'm putting too much.

[seemfrog]

2 things I really like and seem to help coughs quickly for us adults or my kiddos is an herbal product called ClearLungs, and Oil of Oregano (I have a drop kind for the kids, put a few drops in a little juice as it is a hot oil).