We adults are already used to having a blocked nose from time to time, without it being the end of the world.
However, when our baby has a blocked nose, in addition to worrying, he becomes more irritable and has less appetite.
A baby with a blocked nose cannot sleep and all of this can be a huge headache.
There are some parents who will only experience this problem in specific situations, such as the flu, but others report noticing the problem frequently, usually at night.
Therefore, today’s article has the theme: baby with a blocked nose at night, what to do?
It is ideal that you clean and moisturize the nostrils, understand what is causing the blocked nose and even adjust the baby’s position so that he or she can sleep even with a blocked nose.
It may seem like a lot, but Experienced Mother is here to help you. Let’s go?
Baby with a Stuffy Nose at Night: What to Do?
Start by cleaning and moisturizing your baby’s nostrils.
And before putting him to sleep, try to keep his head elevated, but calmly, I’ll guide you with this.
Finally, it helps if you know what is causing your baby’s blocked nose, as there could be different reasons.
Cleaning and hydrating the nostril
Many people believe that cleaning and hydrating the nostril should only be done when the baby has the flu or allergies, but this is not true.
As a baby’s nose can become blocked quite easily, it can be cleaned frequently, helping to prevent it from becoming blocked.
- Saline: saline helps unclog and hydrate.
- Inhalation: inhalation will hydrate and facilitate cleaning. Use only saline solution.
- Nasal aspirator: with the nasal aspirator you can do a deep clean, but without exaggeration.
- Hot bath: The steam from a hot bath will be similar to inhalation, but in lower concentration.
- Humidifier: the air humidifier is great for hydration and is ideal for dry weather.
For more information on how to decongest your baby’s nose, read our article.
Adjust baby’s sleeping position
If your baby has a blocked nose, he may have difficulty sleeping as he will not be breathing normally.
Therefore, the best position for a baby to sleep with a blocked nose is with the head elevated, to facilitate breathing and avoid even greater nasal congestion.
But don’t worry, it’s not enough to put a pillow. It turns out that the baby still doesn’t have perfect control over his body and any object in the crib can be dangerous. Remember to use pillows suitable for newborns.
Therefore, the ideal is to place a pillow under the mattress, that’s right, under the mattress.
This way the mattress will be higher on the baby’s head without presenting any risk of suffocation or any other danger.

To find out more, read our content on the best sleeping positions for your baby in these situations.
Possible Causes of Stuffy Nose
Babies have a very small nose and a still developing immune system, which means they are easily blocked.
Therefore, there can be several different causes for a blocked nose, such as rhinitis, dry weather, flu, etc.
The flu
The flu is very common in babies, occurring around 6 times a year.
In the case of the flu, in addition to treating a stuffy nose, symptoms such as fever should appear and should also be treated.
To find out more precautions to take with the flu, read our article on how to care for a baby with the flu.
Rhinitis/allergy
Allergy in these cases is more common to dust, animal hair, etc., which can also cause irritation to the throat and eyes.
Therefore, try to vacuum the baby’s room and the rooms where you spend the most time.
Try to avoid leaving your baby in places with dogs and cats, or places that collect a lot of dust, such as libraries.
If the allergy persists, consult a doctor.
Excessive use of nasal decongestants
Excessive use of nasal decongestants may end up having the opposite effect.
The nose will become dependent on its use, and when it is not used, the nose will feel more susceptible to getting blocked.
Therefore, the recommendation is that cleaning be done with saline solution and without excess.
Changes in temperature or air humidity
In general, dry weather will be a major cause of blocked nose and respiratory problems.
This dry weather can be natural or even caused by air conditioning and heaters, so avoid leaving your baby exposed to this equipment.
If the weather is naturally dry, use air humidifiers suitable for babies, or increase the amount of baths the baby is given, and in more extreme cases, an inhaler can also be used.
Finally, it should be mentioned that some babies end up getting a blocked nose when they stick an object up their nostrils.
This can be noticed, especially, if only one of the nostrils is blocked.
Therefore, avoid leaving within the baby’s reach any object that could fit into the nostril, even partially.
What not to do to decongest your baby’s nose
As previously mentioned, a baby’s blocked nose can be a headache that only those who have experienced it know.
And in their desperation to improve the situation, some people may end up making some mistakes, so we bring you a list of what not to do:
- Medicating without medical advice: any use of medication in the baby must be done under the prescription of a pediatrician
- Blowing his nose: the baby cannot blow his nose, and if you try to force it, it could end up hurting him and making him more irritable
When to See a Doctor?
See your doctor if:
- A blocked nose is accompanied by other symptoms that are not characteristic of the flu or cold
- The nose remains blocked for a very long period of time without showing improvement
- If the secretions are a different color or have an unusual smell
- In other cases of doubt

Remember that this article only seeks to provide more information, but does not replace a consultation with a pediatric specialist.
Conclusion
In this article we saw what to do when your baby has a stuffy nose at night.
To solve this problem, try to clean the baby’s nose using a saline solution, ensuring that it remains hydrated.
There are other things you can do to resolve this issue, such as including nose cleaning in your baby’s routine.
Furthermore, it is important to observe the baby to discover the causes of this problem, and in more serious cases, consult a doctor for a diagnosis and specific treatment for your little one.