The Best Way to Calm a Cough

If your -- or your child's -- cough is about as good for your sleep as a late-night double espresso is, reach into your kitchen cupboard and grab some honey.

Research shows that this favored home remedy for sore throats can also silence nighttime hacking. That's particularly good news since some drugstore cough suppressants may inhibit your own ability to clear the junk that gets into your lungs.

A little honey goes a long way toward silencing the hacking. Just 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons, depending on age, is enough. (Caution: Because of the risk of botulism, never give honey to children under a year old. For anyone over age 1, choose honey from North America; overseas versions have been found to be contaminated by an old antibiotic that can interfere with your immune-cell production). The honey the researchers used was North American buckwheat honey, a dark variety rich in phytochemicals, and it was better at suppressing coughs -- and even at helping the parents of coughing kids sleep better -- than an over-the-counter cough suppressant or than no treatment at all.

We YOU Docs and our families often use honey with green tea for the extra throat lubrication that helps keep coughing on mute. Honey's power may go beyond keeping nighttime peace: It may fight bacteria and sinus infections (albeit the best evidence of that is still in a petri dish). But you can capitalize on what we know right now about honey: It's easy for kids (and you) to swallow. But just a little, and only with coughs -- don't wear out its effectiveness.