There are two types of coughing at night, one is coughing only at night and the other is coughing during the day and aggravated at night; the etiology of these two conditions is different. In case of coughing only at night, in addition to respiratory diseases, one needs to be alert to whether it is other systemic diseases such as cardiac insufficiency and digestive diseases; in case of the second condition, it may be related to allergies. Cough is a common symptom of respiratory diseases, but cough may also occur in other systemic diseases. Patients with cardiac insufficiency may have violent coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and even telangiectatic breathing after lying down at night due to increased pulmonary stasis. Some gastrointestinal diseases, such as esophageal reflux disease, cause an irritating cough with burning sensation due to reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus during sleep at night. Allergic cough is also characterized by a dry cough at night and requires the addition of leukotriene receptor antagonists or inhaled glucocorticoids. In addition, patients with acute respiratory diseases, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, may also have an irritating cough because sputum cannot be eliminated during sleep at night. Therefore, what to do for coughing at night still requires specific analysis on a case-by-case basis. The use of cough and phlegm-reducing drugs alone may not improve the symptoms, and further consultation at a specialist hospital is needed to clarify the cause for effective treatment. Therefore, it is important not to ignore nighttime coughs, as they may be an important indicator of some diseases, and if they recur or persist, it is recommended to consult a specialist.