Why Are Children's Earaches Worse at Night?

My son has been recently struggling to get over a nasty ear infection, one that keeps the rest of the family up at night as we try to calm him down enough to be put back to bed. He doesn't complain much about his ear during the day, so I wondered what it is about kids and ear infections that cause earaches to be worse at night. I discovered some good information in my research and thought I would pass it along to other parents suffering through sleepless nights.

What Causes an Earache?
There are anatomical reasons why little ones tend to get more earaches. When kids are small their Eustachian tube is shorter than it is in older kids. The tube is also positioned more horizontally which allows for easier admission of bacteria. Interestingly, an ear infection does not generally occur on its own as a primary symptom. Otitis Media, or inflammation of the middle ear, is typically made acute by the build up of fluids in the ear associated with upper respiratory infections or an allergy to certain pollutants such as cigarette smoke or pollen. Eventually, this build up will create pressure on the tympanic membrane, or eardrum, and in severe cases can cause a puncture in this membrane. It is this pressure that your little one is fretting about, and it is this pressure that is worsened at night because of several factors.

Earaches Worsened by Nighttime
Anyone who has suffered from the flu knows that nighttime is the worse time when it comes to symptoms. Fevers tend to run higher, and aches and pains are usually worsened with the onset of darkness. What most people don't know if that this is perfectly natural due to certain biological factors. Pressure changes in our bodies are fairly regulated as long as we remain upright. However, when kids get horizontal for sleeping the pressure tends to build in their upper bodies and head area. This pressure exacerbates the symptoms associated with nasal congestion, earaches, sore throats, and coughing.