Two nights of not going to bed until the birds sing at dawn, lucky me?
By gemini_rose
@gemini_rose (16264)
June 3, 2008 7:11am CST
Well it would be lucky me if it was because I was out having a laugh and enjoying myself. No, my nights up have been through coughing children and what a nightmare!
Since we came back off our holiday my youngest daughter who is 2 and my next son up who is 6 have had these dry tickly coughs that always seem to start when it is my bedtime! So my boy starts first, so I have rubbed menthol oil into his back and chest and propped him up with pillows and eventually he stopped. So I goes back to bed, got all comfy, just dozing off and cough cough cough, my daughter started, so I get up and I do the same for her and hour later back to bed. Just dozing off and I started coughing!
I was coughing that much that I had to come downstairs and sit up until it had stopped so that I did not disturb anyone, so that was another hour. I then went back to bed, and would you believe it my son starts coughing again! This went on for 2 nights and by the time I got to sleep it was gone 4 am and the birds were a singing! So I am quite tired today!
What do you do when you have tickly coughs in the family is there anything special apart from medicine that you use?
When was the last time that you did not get to bed until the birds sang? What was the reason for it, was it a fun reason or not?
3 people like this
19 responses
@ellie333 (21016)
•
3 Jun 08
I would mix butter sugar and honey and give them that. It always worked for me as a child and I suffered from croup. Add some lemon juice too if you have it. Has this only been since they returned home though cos if it is I would contact Tessah as she will be able to help. Know that sounds strange but all connected. Oh if only you lived nearer. I really do want to be able to visit and give you a big hug and share some stuff. Hope they all feel better soon. Ellie :D
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
3 Jun 08
Ooh that actually sounds quite nice! Wonder if it will work for me. Yes it has only been since we come home, hoping they will sleep tonight without coughing. My little boy has had a bad head this afternoon and went right off colour when he got back from school.
You are so nice, thank you for you support and friendship xx
1 person likes this
@ellie333 (21016)
•
3 Jun 08
Gemini, Anytime. I think you know that yeah? Sleep well tonight. You are in my thougts as always. Ellie :D x
@jer31558 (3683)
• United States
22 Jun 08
The last night I didn't get to sleep until the birds were singing was....lets see now....last night. It was definitely for fun as we were out shark fishing till about 4 in the morning then by the time we loaded every thing up and drove home, took a shower and such, the little musicians were in high performance.
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
22 Jun 08
I have never been shark fishing! I would be a bit scared of that I think.
1 person likes this
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
4 Jun 08
i am sorry to hear what you experience... i know it is not a good experience at all... it had been a long long time since i sleep so late... nowadays, i am just too tired from working and whenever i touch the bed, i just go straight to sleep until morning... i hope you and your children will get better soon and you will be able to get proper sleep again... take care and have a nice day...
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
4 Jun 08
gemini rose have you ever wondered if menthol oil
might be causing some of the coughing. my son is
'highly allergic to anything with mentol in it'and
it will cause him to cough like crazy. I am not saying
all people are affected but it might be part of the
problem. I drink hot tea with honey when I have a
dry tickly cough as I am a diabetic and cannot use
a lot of the sweet cough syrups. also vicks cough
drops are good so is horehound candy if you can find
the stuff.I had a time sleeping last night because of'my
shingles pain.not a fun reason at all. lol
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
4 Jun 08
Hiya Hatley, I meant to say vicks, but it came out menthol oil for some reason I think I got a bit mixed up. It is vicks vapour rub that I use on them.
@ruby222 (4847)
•
3 Jun 08
Oh theres nothing worse than that tickly cough,it drives you nuts..and it always gets worse at night.The other thing that always seems to make it worse is a change in room temperature.My useful little tip for that tickle sounds horrible but is fairly good at just easing the offending tickle...I get a teaspoon of honey and warm it slightly..then I add a teaspoon of honey....just vinegar and honey....its not too pleasant to taste though ,so maybe the kids would hate it...plus it doesnt smell too good either lol...but im in complete sympathy with you,if I lose my sleep I feel like nothing on earth.
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
3 Jun 08
Thanks for the tip, I will try it on myself, I do not think that the kids will be much for it!
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
4 Jun 08
Thank you, they slept OK last night, but I feel worse for having a good nights sleep than when I only had a few hours!
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
8 Jun 08
I never go to bed before the sun is up, I am a night owl, but I don't have any young children any more and I am disabled so it is okay my time is my own,
Yes menthol is wonderful as well as honey natural honey is great for a cough
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
3 Jun 08
Hello gemini,
I know you will be catching up today by some nap, you need it! I guess! I experience sleeping late and hearing the birds singing when my husband and I used to watch movies during weekend. I will always tease like, let's morning the night!LOL, But, not too often! For cough, maybe that is an allergy, rubbing their back is good too, it helps them feel better! The following can be followed to help the kids feeling better!
# A cool-mist humidifier in your child's bedroom might help with sleep.
# Cool beverages like juice can be soothing; avoid carbonated or citrus drinks, however, because they can be painful on raw areas.
# You should not give your child (especially a baby or toddler) OTC cough medicine without specific instructions to do so from your doctor.
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
3 Jun 08
When my husband went to Africa for three weeks, that was the last time I watched movies till the next morning - I think I watched 4 in total.
He has since left for Costa Rica and Jamaica today and will be gone until July 2nd. I'm going to force myself to go to bed when my son does LOL
@mummymo (23706)
•
3 Jun 08
Oh we get that a lot sweety - niamh has mild asthma and a cough is always the first sign that it is playing up! We swear by a steamy bathroom , shut all doors windows etc and run hot water or better yet run the shower on the hottest setting and let the room really steam up and sit in there as long as you can or as long as is needed - it is the only thing I have found that really works!
As for being up with the birds well my last time was this morning and yesterday morning and yep you got it I find it very difficult to sleep! Hope things are much better tonight! xxx
@enola1692 (3323)
• United States
3 Jun 08
Yes I know what you are going though this week my hubby my daughter an i have had a nasty summer cold whats sleep actually I am started to feel better today finaly only a week later an I hope hubby is feelin better to I don't know if you know this or not but shhh sometimes the hubbyies are bigger babies then the babies when they sick hope you are feeling better also
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
3 Jun 08
Well, I had cough for 3 days already. I have been bury busy with work this past few days and have been sleeping at 2am already. Though the cough is not the reason why I cannot sleep but rather because I was quite busy with work. I can somehow connect the cause of my cough... stress. Well, I am feeling well now, although there are some occasional episodes of cough. Just toke plenty of water and juices and of course plenty of rest yesterday. This has somehow subsided my cough.
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
3 Jun 08
I totally understand how you feel and I sympathise for you. It is so hard looking after a house full of sick kids especially when you have had no sleep from being up all night. You are so physically exhausted the next day.
My 3 year old also has a chesty cough at the moment too, but luckily she is not so bad that she is coughing all night. I have been giving her cough medicine a couple of times a day, that has helped. About a month ago, my baby had a really bad cough it kept me up most of the night on and off, I put vicks on her clothes, I then stood in the bathroom with her whilst the shower was running to steam up the room. This helped, her breathe better. The next day I went and hired a humidifier this really helped, I ran that most of the night, i noticed she found it alot easier to breathe through her nose and she wasn't coughing as much. I looked like a truck hit me the next day, with no sleep.
I hope your children all get better soon and you get a good nights sleep. Maybe you could try a humidifier in the room that might ease up their coughing a little. Take care.
@chrissieatu (1033)
• China
3 Jun 08
Well first of all, your kids are really cute. They are beautiful!! And then you did reminded me of some memories of my childhood. I think kids can easily get tickly coughs. I used to get it from time to time and when I was about to sleep, I began to cough. Then my dad did the same as you did to me. I think they have a hard time too. But they slept upstairs so I think it's better for them than you.
It seems that I can get quite a sound sleep these days. I can even ignore those noise made by the boys living in the next dorm building, which is quite good for me. I used to be annoyed a lot by that noise.
@Gemmygirl1 (2867)
• Australia
3 Jun 08
Unfortunately no, i haven't discovered any way to stop the coughing etc without medicine - i figure they design the medicine for kids & if it means we all get a good night of sleep then it will help them to get better quicker :)
They always say that sleep makes everything better, so with the medicine helping to allow that, i have just always found it to be the best option!
I guess if you're not clean on using it then that's entirely up to you but if it works for me then i'll do whatever it takes to help everyone get enough rest to help clear up the sickness :)
@sminut13 (1783)
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
well, i too give warm water with a pinch of salt though kids usually do not want to drink that. my sister's son is having similar problems, dry cough. she told me that she gave ginger water. hehe
she grinds a little ginger and mixes in the water but since the kids don't like that naturally, she makes it sweeter by mixing it with ribena juice. in fact, a little earlier, she told me that she put in a little ginger and made the ribena juice a little sweeter and her son was drinking. people over here make their children drink that when they have cough though personally i wouldn't want to drink that at all.
thus whenever my son has a cough, i make warm water for him to drink. i tell him if you cough, you must drink water, then it'll make you stronger and he usually heeds my advice. it tends to relieve his throat.
@tessah (6617)
• United States
3 Jun 08
i do same as you with the mentol vapor rub.. but when i know its been occurring nightly.. i slather her up when i tuck her in so maybe itll be averted from the get go.
last time i was up all night, wasnt fun. please refer to previous discussion regarding screaming insomnia lol 92 hours without more than 3 hours sleep max.. i lost mah damned mind!
@Erratic (723)
• Australia
3 Jun 08
Wow - That's a rough deal. I'm suprised you have the energy to sit there typing.
The bad news is it sounds like the whole household has a cold.
The good news is you can get day and night cold tablets from your chemist (hope it is available for kids but not sure). The night time pill cuts the coughing and plegm if any and you do the coughing in the daytime thus allowing everyone a good nigh't sleep.
Hope this is of some help my poor, tired friend.
