PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Buckwheat honey given before bedtime provided better relief of nighttime cough in children than no treatment or a cough suppressant, a U.S. study found.

Researchers at the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine found honey may offer parents an effective and safe alternative over-the-counter cold medications.

The study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, found a dose of buckwheat honey did a better job reducing the severity, frequency and bothersome nature of nighttime cough from upper respiratory infection than dextromethorphan or no treatment.

Honey also showed a positive effect on the sleep quality of both the coughing child and the child's parents, the study said. Dextromethorphan was not significantly better at alleviating symptoms than no treatment, study leader Ian Paul said in a statement.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory board recently recommended that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines not be given to children under age 6 because of their lack of effectiveness and potential for side effects.