Children and infants have narrower nasal passageways than adults, making them more susceptible to nighttime congestion caused by inflammation or excess mucus. Very young children and especially infants, who mostly breathe through their nose, cannot blow their noses as adults can.
Keep Theirs Heads Upright
The best default position for your baby to be in when they have a cold is upright. This helps for congestion to clear and for breathing to become easier. And, most importantly, it helps them get that vital rest they need so much.
Congestion tends to be worse at night because it is harder for the nose and sinuses to drain. This means that mucus pools in the head, making it harder to breathe and potentially causing a sinus headache in the morning. Try elevating the head on a few pillows to help the sinuses drain more easily.
Concerning Baby Congestion Symptoms
Your baby has a temperature of 100 degrees for more than three days. Your baby is experiencing ear or sinus pain. There is yellow eye discharge. There is a cough that lasts for more than one week.
If they extend past seven to 10 days, you may want to call or bring your child in. If there are symptoms such as irritability, prolonged fever or respiratory difficulty, make sure to see a physician or health care professional.
How long does newborn congestion last? Newborns often have congestion soon after birth because of excess amniotic fluid in their noses. As a result, you may notice them sneezing more frequently as they work to clear the congestion. 6 Fortunately, this congestion should clear on its own within a few days to a week.
There are a couple of reasons why nasal congestion feels worse when the sun goes down. For one, allergies tend to worsen at night. And two, your nose becomes more congested when you lie down. Therefore, you may find that it's easier to breathe at night when you have congestion if you prop yourself up in the bed.
Using a humidifier in the home can help relieve a stuffy nose and can help break up mucus so you can cough it up. Humidified air can relieve the discomfort of colds and the flu.
Nasal congestion can be caused by anything that irritates or inflames the nasal tissues. Infections — such as colds, flu or sinusitis — and allergies are frequent causes of nasal congestion and runny nose. Sometimes a congested and runny nose can be caused by irritants such as tobacco smoke and car exhaust.
One of the safest and most effective ways to help clear a baby's congestion is with a saline (salt water) spray or nose drops. These products are available without a prescription. If you use drops, place two drops in each nostril to loosen the mucus inside.
Use saline drops or spray
One of easiest ways to clear a baby's or toddler's nose is to use a saline nasal spray. Nasal spray works by thinning out the mucus, allowing the nose to clear out and ease congestion.
The best times to suction are before feeding and before bed. This will help your baby breathe easier when they eat and when they sleep. Make sure you don't suction too much and damage their nose. You can use saline drops to help loosen the mucus in your baby's nose before you suction.
Too much mucus in a baby's nose or throat can sometimes lead to gagging or mild choking.
Give them a lift
For a baby sleeping with a cold, use extra pillows to raise their head and shoulders as this will help the congestion drain down. For infants DO NOT use pillows.
The usual way for your newborn baby to breathe is through their nose. This is unless their nasal passage has some blockage, which can lead to mouth breathing. Young babies don't develop the reflex to breathe through their mouths until they are 3 or 4 months old.
A humidifier should be placed approximately 3 feet from your baby's crib to avoid excessive exposure to moisture emitted from your humidifier. Excess humidifier mist may dampen your baby's bedding, pillows, or stuffed animals creating the potential for mold and bacteria.
Cool-mist humidifiers may help ease coughing and congestion due to a cold. But more research is needed. Some research has found that heated humidifiers don't help cold symptoms. Warm-mist and cool-mist humidifiers are equally effective in humidifying the air.
Gentle taps on your baby's back can help ease chest congestion. Lay them down across your knees and gently pat their back with your cupped hand. Or do it while they sit on your lap with their body leading forward about 30 degrees. It loosens mucus in the chest and makes it easier for them to cough it up.
Changes in Blood Flow When You Lie Down
Nasal congestion can worsen when you lie down. Lying down increases the blood flow to your head. The excess blood flow can cause the blood vessels in your nasal passage to swell. When the blood vessels in your nose become inflamed, your nose feels stuffy.
The congestion typically goes away by itself within a week. Congestion also can be caused by: Hay fever or other allergies. Use of some nasal sprays or drops bought without a prescription for more than 3 days (may make nasal stuffiness worse)
Nasal allergies are the most common cause of stuffy noses. For children with nasal allergies, harmless substances like pollen and pet dander kick off an inflammatory immune response that makes the body behave like it has a constant, mild cold.
Gently wipe off the mucus around the baby's nose with tissues to prevent irritation. Limit suctioning to no more than 4 times each day to avoid irritating the nose.
Days 3 to 5: Cough and More Nasal Congestion
This usually is due to a spike in the number of white blood cells your immune system has dispatched to overcome the virus, according to the Mayo Clinic. As you get better over the next few days, the discharge tends to clear up.