Snotty Toddler Not Sleeping

Before bed have him take a warm steamy bath and clean his nose out best you can.
After the bath, use saline drops in his nose and suction out again - it's a pain but it's best to start the night with as clear a nose as possible.
Use a humidifier in his room and Vick's vapor rub on his chest (the Vick's on the feet thing with socks on never worked for me).
Keep him well hydrated - it helps to thin the mucus.
If milk makes the mucus thicken, avoid dairy products till he's over his cold.

I am so tired. I read your title and thought you were calling your toddler stuck up! LOL! I need some sleep!

This has always helped our stuffed up little ones get some sleep (and us too): http://www.pediacare.com/Products/pediacare-childrens-gen...

Hope he feels better soon- sounds like you've all had a rough few days.

We used to put our child in the car seat and put the car seat in the crib or next to our bed. We could never "elevate" the bed since she would just roll down to the foot end. I once sat up all night with baby on my chest while I dozed on the recliner. A humidifier can also help. Or a really hot shower right before bed and then some benadryl to both dry up the mucus and help him fall asleep.

Our Pedi has prescribed our little guy Sonahist or Neutrahist, this is a good decongestant and really helps our son. He has taken this since he was a year old. Try asking your pedi about this and try all the other things other mom's have suggested. They all do work.

are you saying suctioning is out of the question? if you are alone, what if you laid him down and put your leg over his body to hold him down and used the opposite hand to hold his head. you would have one hand left to suction. ?? that may be the only way to get it all out. good luck sweetie.

PS i know that may sound traumatic, but he will get over it.

vicks vapor rub and a humidifier.
I would take him in to the dr to make sure it's just a cold.

He needs a good decongestant, one that will loosen his sinuses up, dry him up and help him expel the loose and dried up mucus. You don't want anything to settle into his lungs after a week or so or it will turn into bronchitis.

Before bed, use saline to suction him. Hold him down or swaddle him if you have to.

Then get a nebulizer and squirt some saline in it and let him breath in that good saline steam.

Then stick him in a nice hot steam bath and let the hot water loosen things up, using a hot washcloth to let the water run on his head closer to his nasal passages/sinuses.

Then let him sleep with a misty humidifier. I prefer the humidifiers that lets you pour menthol liquid in the water resevoir but that might bother some kids. My kid doesn't mind it. I also let him sleep w/a plug in that takes strips of Vicks vaporizors and vaporizes the air.

I would elevate his head somehow w/a towel or blanket under his mattress or pillow. On bad nights I let him sleep upright on the couch or in a recliner.

Honey only worked a few times w/my son for coughing but you could try it. Push the garlic, lemon and honey in whatever he eats throughout the day and maybe you can speed up his recovery.

gl!

Keep him elevated.

When there is mucus and congestion and sinus drainage etc., it gets worse at night because the person is lying down. Hence, the mucus still drains down the sinus and throat and accumulates in the throat... causing the cough reflex, hence causing coughing. And or gagging.

A baby, cannot clear, their throat nor spit it out.
Hence, discomfort and more coughing and/or gagging.

Keep him elevated.
You can, under his crib mattress, put a pillow there to elevate the mattress.
Don't put a pillow under his head, because this is a safety hazard.

Did you take him to the Doctor?
If not, do so.
To make sure, he is fine.

Congestion/mucus/coughing, originates from:
1) the chest, or
2) the Sinus.
Where is his congestion originating from????
If it is his chest, and being he is so young, you need to make sure he does not get Pneumonia or something.
Lungs in babies, are sensitive.
Even a sinus infection, is not good... and the dripping of mucus down the throat can infect the lungs too, causing a secondary infection in the lungs.
Hence causing Bronchitis or Pneumonia.
I know, that happened to me, just from a Head cold.

Take your baby to the Doctor.
Watch for any worsening symptoms/fever etc.

Orange juice, makes mucus worse.
Keep him hydrated.

Using a bulb syringe/suction in his nose, if you use it too much... it can abrade the inner nose and cause pain. So don't use it too much.

Or, there is something called "Little Noses" which is a nasal decongestant drops, for kids. Which breaks up nasal congestion. Find it at drug stores. I have that for my kids.

When babies are sick like this, you need to wake up and check on them. They don't get sleep, nor you.
It is temporary. He is sick. So just make sure he is comfortable and can breathe..... take him to the Doctor and monitor his symptoms.

Or as a last resort... hold him on you while you are sitting in a chair, and let him sleep that way. He is upright in that position, and it may help with the congestion and coughing as the mucus drips down his throat.
Even with a chest cold/congestion.... being flat on your back, makes it harder for the lungs and causes coughing. Because the mucus accumulates and pools.

good luck,
Susan

Humidifier, benadryl and put infant bucks on his feet and cover with socks. Also, it's possible that he could have an ear infection too.