Why is asthma worse at night cortisol

Having your sleep interrupted is annoying at best and, especially if it happens often, meltdown-inducing at worst. But when you wake up in the middle of a coughing fit or because you feel like you’re breathing through a straw, the whole experience can take a terrifying turn.

Unfortunately, that’s what some people with asthma have to deal with.

Coughing and wheezing at night only in adults

“It is very common for asthma to get worse at night,” pulmonologist Ryan Thomas, M.D., director of the Multidisciplinary Severe Asthma Team at Michigan State University, tells SELF. This phenomenon, which experts sometimes refer to as nocturnal asthma, can make it far too difficult to get the amount of rest you need.

It can also be a sign that you need to take steps to subdue your asthma before it gets even worse.

It’s important to cover some asthma basics before we dive into the rude awakening portion.

Your airways, which extend between your nose and mouth and your lungs, carry air in and out of your body, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

Pretty key job, huh? But if you have asthma, those airways can ge

why is my asthma worse when lying down

asthma worsens when lying down