@desertdwellerjh This caught my eye. "having slept until 7:30 am two days in a row and needing to do so because coughing during the night woke me up:

I wake up several times in the night, however, it appears for me I wake up because my bladder is talking and I have to walk down the hall to relieve the urge.
BUT...after waking due to what wants to be cleared from the throat....I'm up about ten minutes or more doing whatever I need to do...to bring the phlegm/mucus up and out until I feel it is "all calm" enough to try and go back to sleep. Because of that I will sleep as long as I can to try and get 7 hours of sleep. That can mean, if I was able to fall back to sleep, I will often be in bed for 8/9 hours to get that 7 hours of sleep.

It appears it is different with you..
Question: What does it feel like that you say "because coughing during the night woke me up."
Barbara