Are you suffering from a cough that’s keeping you up at night? Forget the medicine cabinet. Head to your kitchen and mix up one of these natural, tried-and-true remedies:

1. The Ultimate Homemade Cough Syrup: this remedy is sure to ease your cough and help you get better quickly. You’ll need honey, the all-powerful apple cider vinegar, ground ginger and cayenne pepper.
2. Lemon Honey Cough Syrup: lemon, honey and olive oil make an effective remedy to combat your cold. You can even store this mixture in the fridge for several months, so make a batch to pull out at the first sign of a cough.
3. Thyme for Some Tea: make a tea by mixing 2 tsp of crushed thyme leaves in 1 cup of boiling water. Cover and steep for 10 minutes, then strain into your favorite mug. According to Reader’s Digest, thyme leaves are packed with cough-relieving compounds.
4. Brew a Black Pepper Tea: this is the remedy you’ll want to use if you’re suffering from a “wet cough.” According to Reader’s Digest:
   

   This natural remedy is rooted in two very different traditions: New England folk medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. The rationale behind it is that black pepper stimulates circulation and mucus flow; honey is a natural cough reliever and mild antibiotic.

   To make this tea, just put 1 tsp of fresh ground black pepper and 2 tsp of honey in a cup. Then fill with boiling water, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Then drain and sip as needed.

5. Suck on a Lemon: this one definitely won’t be for everyone out there. But if you want quick relief, just grab a lemon slice, sprinkle it with salt and black pepper, and suck on it.

If you need relief from your other cold and flu symptoms, be sure to check out 9 Flu Hacks to Help You Feel Better.