Babies usually will sleep well at night. However, there are times when the baby’s sleep is disturbed because of a blocked nose. Babies are not yet able to speak to express their complaints. Thus, they often wake up, get fussy, and may cry because the babies cannot breathe freely. By the way, how do you deal with stuffy noses in babies at night?
Sometimes, parents just guess the cause, and take inappropriate actions. If this is the case, it is time for parents to take the right actions to overcome stuffy noses in babies at night. No need to worry, here we will share some ways to deal with stuffy noses in babies at night.
Read also: 7 Ways to Overcome Children Having Trouble Sleeping at Night
What Are the Causes of Stuffy Nose in Babies at Night?
As parents, when your baby’s nose is blocked, you might think that your baby has a cold or flu. In fact, the cause of a stuffy nose in babies at night is not always due to a cold. Based on the research, the most common cause of stuffy nose in babies is infections such as viruses. However, it can also be due to allergies, or other problems. Now, let us learn one by one the possible causes of stuffy noses in babies.
Here are some causes of stuffy noses in babies:
1. Upper respiratory tract infection
When your baby has an infection in the upper airway, the main complaint is a stuffy nose. Of course, this stuffy nose makes your baby feel uncomfortable. Your baby will have difficulty breathing. As a result, the baby’s rest time is disrupted. And, food and drink intake will be reduced, so that the baby will often fuss because the pain gets worse.
2. Allergy
Also, babies who have allergic rhinitis will experience stuffy noses. Besides stuffy nose, allergic rhinitis is also accompanied by other symptoms, usually accompanied by an itchy, sneezing, and runny nose. If in addition to stuffy nose your baby has these symptoms, for example, likes to scratch her/his hands to the nose because of itching, runny nose, and sneezing, most likely the cause of stuffy nose is due to allergies.
3. Sinusitis
In fact, sinusitis in babies can happen. For your information, sinusitis is an inflammatory process in the sinus cavity. The sinuses are cavities located in the facial area and are connected to the nasal cavity. If the sinus cavity is inflamed, it will be followed by inflammation in the nasal area. Stuffy nose is one of the symptoms of sinusitis.
How to Deal with Stuffy Nose in Babies at Night?
When your baby experiences a stuffy nose at night, you can deal with it at home. At least, this solution can help your baby sleep well, before taking your baby to the doctor the next day to determine the cause, and get treatment.
Here are 4 ways to deal with stuffy nose in babies at night:
1. Nose wash or nose spray
Nose washing is the act of draining and cleaning the nasal cavity with NaCl or salt solution. The purpose of nose washing is to remove mucus that clogs the nasal cavity so that the baby will be able to breathe freely again.
As parents, you can do nose washing to your baby as long as it is in accordance with the doctor’s instructions. The method is to spray sterile liquid (usually intravenous fluids or saline solutions purchased at the pharmacy) with a special sprayer or syringe into one of the nostrils. solution purchased at the pharmacy) with a special atomizer or syringe into one of the nostrils. Then, it will be followed by the flow of washing water from the other nostril, along with mucus and nasal debris.
2. Use a slime vacuum
For moms who cannot wash their baby’s nose, you can try to suck the mucus that clogs your baby’s nose with a special suction device or nasal aspirator. Based on the research, the use of medical devices such as nasal aspirators has been shown to reduce the risk of developing ear infections and rhinosinusitis.
3. Apply vapor rub or cajuput oil
When your baby experiences a stuffy nose at night, you can also apply a vapor rub to your baby’s chest and neck. Besides vapor rub, you can also apply cajuput oil to the baby. This oil works by widening local blood vessels so that a warm sensation arises and slightly reduces discomfort. However, do not forget to pay attention to the baby’s skin condition. This oil can cause irritation sensitive skin, so excessive use can cause skin rashes.
4. Use essential oils
Currently, essential oils are frequently used to overcome various health complaints. Symptoms in the upper respiratory tract such as stuffy nose can also utilize this essential oil. Essential oils can be easily inhaled and reach the upper respiratory tract through inhalation. The active ingredients in essential oils can kill germs that cause infections and inflammation of the respiratory tract in babies.
Well, those were 4 ways to deal with stuffy noses in babies at night. If your baby’s condition does not improve, immediately you must take your baby to a doctor to get the right treatment.
