What Teppy said. The pearls were the only thing that helped me the last time I had a cough like that and wasn't sleeping. Along with lots of decongestants and albuterol.

What really works for me, and I neglected, is to also take mucinex dm and actifed to dry up the crud as well as the chocolate and booze for the cough. I just though I was ready to go it alone, and wasn't.

I had the pearls once years ago, and was not impressed enough to try them again.

I agree on the humidity--I've sat with a kid in my lap in the bathroom with the shower running on hot--or alone--and it did help the cough. But my bedroom needs to be cool. I can't breathe in an overwarm room. Also, when I can't stop coughing, I sleep sitting up--either on piles of pillows, or in the armchair with a footstool. Lying down just starts it up all over again.

I hope something works for you, Windsparrow, and you get the rest you need.

I've been making my own croup tents since I was 10.

You might need an inhaler. Sorry it is so bad windsparrow

Yeah, Andi, how's the cough today? Have you had a chance to call/see your NP?

The amount of coughing is entirely tolerable when upright. To successfully lie down and sleep I need Sudafed, either 12 hour or as 4hr Actifed, a Mucinex DM, at least one square of dark dark chocolate 85-90%, and a slug or two of whisky. But it works, I slept reasonably well last night.

You should try to sleep upright if at all possible. Knocking yourself out when having breathing issues can be a whole other level of problem. Please be careful.

I can't sleep upright enough to stop the cough. I have a number of pillows on my bed to elevate my head, but that just is not high enough to stop the cough.