Coughing, especially when it lasts into the night, can disturb your sleep and leave you exhausted. Thankfully, there are the best tea for cough are available to help with coughing, reduce inflammation, and even give you better sleep.
Besides soothing your throat, many of these natural remedies have other health benefits, making them a fantastic choice when fighting a stubborn cough. Below are the 13 most efficient hot tea for cough and sore throat symptoms overnight.
Most Effective Tea For Cough
Organic tea as natural home remedies for cough are here:
1. Tea with honey and lemon
Why it works: Honey has been used for generations to relieve pain and irritation from a sore throat. Its natural antibacterial properties help the body fight infection while coating the throat, reducing irritability. Lemon, full of vitamin C, protects the immune system and dissolves mucus for easy elimination.
How to prepare: Mix 1-2 tablespoons of honey in one cup of hot water with the juice of half a lemon. Stir well and drink slowly before bed. This is one of the best tea for cough issues, as it soothes irritation, helps clear mucus, and makes breathing easier.
Additional tip: You can add a pinch of cayenne pepper to this mixture for an added kick and to help loosen up mucus even more.
2. Ginger Tea
Why it works: Ginger is beneficial due to its anti-inflammatory and pain-killing characteristics. It would decrease the swollen state of the throat and will make one stop coughing.
Further, it could expectorate-naturally remove the accumulated mucus from the respiratory system. The properties present in ginger improve circulation to extremities, and it controls and reduces the severity of cough spells.
How to prepare it: Slice the fresh ginger and boil it in water for 5-10 minutes. Afterward, strain the tea, then add honey and lemon, if desired, for an added soothing effect.
This is the most efficient hot drink to ease the cough, especially for people suffering from congestion and throat irritation.
Additional tip: If you find ginger tea is the best tea for cough too strong, mix it with warm apple juice for sweetness and flavor.
3. Chamomile Tea
Why it works: Chamomile has traditionally been used to treat several health issues, from colds to anxiety. This herb is anti-inflammatory and relaxes the throat muscles, decreasing coughing fits.
Additionally, chamomile helps people relax and fall asleep, especially when they need a good night’s rest.
How to make it: Brew the flowers or tea bags of chamomile into a tea. Let it steep for 5-10 minutes, and sip it slowly.
Chamomile is one of the effective hot drinks for easing coughs, especially when you can’t sleep at night because of continuous coughing.
Additional tip: Combine chamomile with a teaspoon of honey and a few drops of lavender oil to give an added soothing effect, enhancing its calming properties.
4. Turmeric Milk
Why it works: Turmeric’s active compound, curcumin, is very anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. It helps soothe throat inflammation, thus lessening coughing and warding off infections. The warm milk will varnish the throat and produce a soothing effect.
How to make it: Mix 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder in warm milk. Add a pinch of black pepper to enhance the absorption of curcumin.
Drinking this before bed makes it an effective hot drink to ease coughs since it combines anti-inflammatory benefits with a soothing texture.
Additional tip: You can add a pinch of cinnamon to this drink for added immunity and flavor as well.
5. Peppermint Tea
Why it works: Peppermint contains menthol, a natural decongestant that helps clear the respiratory tract. It also acts as an antispasmodic, helping to relax the throat muscles that can give rise to coughing fits. Cooling menthol can provide a fast relief to an irritated throat.
How to make it: Soak peppermint leaves in boiling water for 5-10 minutes, or drink peppermint tea with teabags.
Add honey if desired. Peppermint tea is one of the best tea for cough to alleviate the symptoms, as it cools down the throat and unclogs mucus.
Additional tip: If a person suffers from a cough because of a sinus issue, consuming peppermint tea may clear the congestion in the nostrils.
6. Thyme Tea
Why it works: Thyme is a powerful herb with antimicrobial elements that can help fight throat and respiratory infections.
It also acts as a natural cough suppressant, offering relief from both dry and productive coughs. Besides all that, thyme helps clear mucus out of the airways.
How to make it: Steep 1-2 teaspoons of dried thyme leaves in hot water for 10 minutes. Strain the tea and drink it before bed.
This is one of the most effective and best tea for cough, particularly for those with chronic hacking coughs.
Additional tip: Mix thyme with honey and lemon for a more powerful soothing effect.
7. Apple Cider Vinegar Drink
Why it works: ACV contains antibacterial properties that help fight throat infections. It also normalizes the throat’s pH level, possibly one reason bacteria do not feel at home. ACV also helps break down mucus, making it easier to expel.
How to make: Mix 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with warm water. Add a tablespoon of honey to taste and mix well.
Slowly sip this drink at bedtime to soothe the throat. ACV is one of the most efficient hot drinks against cough, especially for people with mucus buildup in their system.
Additional tip: You can add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the drink, which will help drain the congestion and enhance circulation within the body.
8. Licorice Root Tea
Why it works: Licorice root is mainly used for soothing the throat because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
It helps to liquefy and expel the mucus out of your chest, reducing irritation and hence decreasing the urge to cough. It also has some antiviral properties against infection that might have caused the cough.
How to make it: Steep 1-2 teaspoons of dried licorice root in hot water for 5-10 minutes. Drink 1-2 cups daily. Licorice root is the number one hot drink recommended for soothing a cough, but more so when you are dealing with a productive cough.
Additional tip: If you are pregnant or have high blood pressure, you should not use this treatment because licorice root might interrelate with several types of medications.
9. Slippery Elm Tea
Why it works: Slippery elm is a mucilaginous herb containing a gel-like substance that coats and soothes the throat.
This makes it an excellent remedy for a dry or irritated cough. Slippery elm also has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce throat irritation and ease coughing.
How to make it: Steep, slippery elm bark powder in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Strain and drink the tea. Slippery Elm is one of the best hot drinks for relieving a cough, especially when your throat is dry and irritated.
Additional tip: You can mix slippery elm with honey for increased soothing effects and antimicrobial properties.
10. Cinnamon and Honey Tea
Why it works: Cinnamon is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant, while honey is a natural sore throat reliever. Together, they’re a powerful team that works to decrease coughing, clear the throat, and remove some of the sting from an irritated throat.
How to make: Mix 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder with 1-2 tablespoons of honey into hot water. Stir well and enjoy this soothing drink before going to bed. This is one of the most effective hot drinks to ease cough because it reduces inflammation and fights an infection.
Additional tip: If you don’t have cinnamon powder, use cinnamon sticks and simmer them in water for a more intense flavor.
11. Lemon and Ginger Tea
Why it works: Both lemon and ginger have powerful anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe the throat, reduce coughing, and expectorate mucus. Ginger also helps alleviate nausea, which may come with coughing fits.
How to make it: Slice fresh ginger and boil in water for 5-10 minutes. Mix in half a lemon juice and add one teaspoon of honey.
Additional tip: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for an added dose of heat that will help further break down mucus.
12. Marshmallow Root Tea
Why it works: Marshmallow root contains mucilage, which coats and soothes the throat. This makes it an excellent remedy for dry coughs or persistent throat irritation. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce swelling in the throat.
How to make it: Steep 1-2 teaspoons of dried marshmallow root in hot water for 5-10 minutes. Drink 1-2 cups a day for relief. Marshmallow root is one of the most effective hot drinks to ease a cough, mainly when dealing with a dry, persistent cough.
Additional tip: You can combine marshmallow root with licorice or slippery elm for soothing effects.
13. Hot Water with Salt
Why it works: Gargling with warm salt water is one of the simplest yet most effective remedies for soothing a sore throat. Salt helps kill bacteria, reduce inflammation, and clear mucus from the throat.
How to make it: Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water. Gargle for 30 seconds, then swallow or spit it out. Though this isn’t technically a “drink,” it relieves throat irritation quickly.
Additional tip: You can alternate between gargling salt water and sipping other soothing teas for extra relief.
Tips for Best Results:
- Stay hydrated: While hot drinks are a great way to rehydrate, drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your throat moistened and help it recover.
- Add honey: Honey soothes, and its antibacterial properties fight infection.
- Drink before bed: These most effective hot drinks to stop coughing should be taken an hour or two before bedtime so that your throat remains soothed even in sleep.
In A Nutshell
With these most effective and the best tea for cough to ease the symptoms as part of your bedtime routine, you can alleviate cough symptoms, clear mucus, and finally get well-deserved rest.
However, a cough lasting for more than a week or with other severe symptoms should be referred to a health professional for consultation to rule out more grave conditions.
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