This is one of the most important things you can do for your family.

Parents, you’ll be nodding along to this…

Have you ever gone to go bed, placed your head on the pillow, closed your eyes and almost fallen asleep and then…

Cough.

Cough.

COUGH.

Yep – it’s the sound parents dread the most in the world (well, apart from silence. When you have kids, silence pretty much guarantees they’re up to no good).

As a parent, you need three things to survive when the kids have a cough:

1. Sleep.
2. A sense of humour.
3. A good cough syrup.
4. A good bedtime story.

They are equally as important as each other, but let me tell you, it is very hard to have a sense of humour when you haven’t had a good night’s sleep.

I mean, have you ever tried to face a day after being kept awake all night? Wait, you’re a parent, of course you have. It sucks, doesn’t it?

Jokes aside, not being able to sleep is a serious issue – for the whole family.

When the kids are sick with a cold and uncomfortable with a nasty cough, they do NOT sleep well. Then the next day, they are exhausted as well as sick and miserable – and it becomes a vicious cycle. Not to mention them falling behind at school due to sick days and missing out on fun times with their friends…

And then, there’s the effect it has on YOUR mood. You’re irritable, cranky and your tolerance for childhood dramas is severely reduced – am I right? When you’re sleep deprived, it doesn’t take long until you start to resemble Oscar the Grouch (or maybe that’s just me?)

Along with this you’re more likely to exercise less, eat worse and generally be less healthy if you don’t get enough sleep. Because when you’re tired? Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Sleep is so important and, as parents, it is the one thing we seem to skip when we need it the most.

Trying to do something about the sleep issue is the first step in ensuring a good night’s sleep.

So treat that pesky children’s cough that’s keeping the whole family up – use Benadryl Children’s 2 years + cough liquid. Look into relaxation techniques that will help you settle easier if you do happen to get up to your children in the middle of the night. And hopefully, you’ll all be sleeping soundly.

How do you help a coughing child?

Want more? Try these:

The mum whose bedtime routine has gone viral.

Your sleeping position can tell you a lot about your personality.