Can Eating a Marshmallow Before Bed Really Stop Your Nighttime Cough?

If a cough is keeping you up at night, you might be tempted to try one popular hack for boosting your sleep: eating a marshmallow before bed.

Marshmallows contain gelatin, an ingredient that some online health commentators have claimed coats your throat and stops your cough so you can sleep. One person, for example, maintained that a doctor recommended such an approach for an awful, lingering cough that made it impossible for her to breathe easily or get much sleep.

The doctor’s orders were simple: “Eat a jumbo marshmallow before bed,” the user said in her post. She said the doctor told her, “It sounds insane. There’s no science behind it. But it’s what I do. The gelatin helps coat your throat even better than honey.” We explored medical opinions on using marshmallows to soothe coughs and provide doctor-backed alternatives: Do they really work?

“Natural marshmallow root helps develop a protective coat along the lining of the throat, esophagus, and lungs, which can be soothing and act as an anti-inflammatory,” Dr. Mehdizadeh says. “This may in turn soothe irritation from any number of causes that could cause a cough.”

But marshmallows available in stores today don’t contain marshmallow root, Mehdizadeh says. And there’s no evidence that the gelatin in marshmallows is a cough suppressant.

A doctor’s order to try marshmallows for a cough might be really tempting to people who have tried other remedies without success — or anyone with a sweet tooth. But it might actually make you feel worse, says Cynthia Li, MD, a specialist in internal and integrative medicine and the author of Brave New Medicine.

“People might get excited by the permission — or overt prescription — to eat marshmallow candies,” Dr. Li says. “But sugar and corn syrup are the primary ingredients, and they are well known to cause inflammation and suppress the immune system.”

“Warm water with honey can soothe a sore throat and may make a cough feel better,” says Jeffrey Linder, MD, MPH, the chief of general internal medicine and a professor at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Another great option is bone broth, says Li. “Bone broth, which is gaining popularity for its healing properties, contains cysteine, glutamine, and carnosine — all compounds that have immune-supporting and mucus-thinning properties,” Li says, although the evidence is limited for treating cough specifically.

There are some simple things you can do in your bedroom to ease a nighttime cough and increase your odds of getting a good night’s sleep, Li says.

“Elevate the head of the bed to enhance the drainage of phlegm,” Li suggests. For this to work best, you need to sleep with both your head and your chest raised. You can do this with a special wedge pillow, a pile of regular pillows, or even by placing some books under your mattress to prop up the head of the bed, Li suggests.

It’s worth going to the drugstore if your cough won’t let you sleep.

Cough drops can help, but you should check the label and avoid options with lots of sugar, Li advises. “A cough drop that is low in sugar and artificial colors, with manuka honey or menthol, would be a great choice,” Li says.

He also recommends nasal anti-inflammatory steroid sprays like Flonase, Nasacort, or other allergy medications, which may reduce coughing.

But if your cough won’t quit, you should really see a doctor to figure out what’s causing it and how to make it better, Mehdizadeh says. “Follow up with a doctor for a cough that lasts more than two weeks or for other symptoms like shortness of breath and chest discomfort,” Mehdizadeh says.

• A loud cough that sounds like a seal’s bark
• Producing blood or bloody mucus when you cough
• A cough that affects how you breathe
• A cough that lasts longer than three weeks
• Breathlessness
• A body temperature of 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C) or higher that lasts longer than 48 hours

No matter what you try, one thing you shouldn’t do is rely on marshmallows to make a difference, Dr. Linder says. “There’s no high-quality evidence I’m aware of supporting the use of marshmallows for cough.”

• While marshmallows may seem like a sweet solution for a nighttime cough, they contain mostly sugar and gelatin, which don’t have proven therapeutic effects on coughing.
• Instead of marshmallows, consider using a humidifier or elevating the head of your bed to ease a persistent cough and promote better sleep.
• Other home remedies include warm water with honey or a low-sugar cough drop with manuka honey or menthol, which may also provide cough relief and support improved sleep.
• If a cough persists for more than two weeks or is accompanied by serious symptoms like shortness of breath or chest pain, consult a healthcare professional for a thorough evaluation.