One of the most frequent inquiries we get from patients is to avoid mouth drying while sleeping. It might be uncomfortable to awaken with your mouth dry that feels like it is filled with cotton. Indeed, it can even ruin a fantastic morning that follows a sound night’s sleep.

The article covers suggestions from our top professionals to help you fix the issue of why your mouth dries out at night.

Understanding the Causes of dry mouth

A lack of saliva production in your mouth is the cause of the very frequent ailment known as dry mouth.

When you’re awake, you have some conscious control over salivation, so you can feel your mouth drying out and drink some water to stay hydrated. However, the worst signs of dry mouth can manifest while you’re asleep.

Now, saliva obviously helps to keep your mouth hydrated, but it also has other functions. Saliva also maintains a healthy pH in your mouth cavity, preventing it from becoming overly acidic. This aids in controlling the amount of germs in the mouth. But without saliva, bacteria have the ideal environment to grow, produce acidic waste, and result in tooth decay and other dental issues. Additionally, every single soft tissue in the mouth that survive within hydration gets dry.

Symptoms of dry mouth while Sleeping

If you have it at night, you can have the following symptoms:

1. Morning breath that may last throughout the day
2. Thirsty when you first wake up
3. Waking up many times through the night to obtain a glass of water
4. An itchy, dry throat
5. Difficulty exhaling fully
6. Chapped, chapped, or dry lips
7. A build-up of saliva that is thick or sticky, especially on the tongue

How to avoid having a dry mouth at night?

Fortunately, there are a few methods you can employ to avoid having it before bed. The following strategies are suggested by our top Houston dentist for avoiding your mouth dry at night:

1. Floss your teeth before going to bed: Maintaining proper hydration. Your salivary glands require water in order to generate saliva since it is mainly water. Experts advise consuming about 2.5 litres of water per day, with intake increasing if you live in a hot climate or participate in physical activity. Not only when you’re thirsty, either. Drink water often throughout the day so that it can enter the body and not only be eliminated through the kidneys.

2. Avoid drinking alcohol and caffeine in the evening: Because alcohol is a diuretic, it causes more water to pass through the urine. The probability of having your mouth dry increases if you consume alcohol in the evening since it will likely cause your body to get dehydrated.

3. Apply a humidifier: When the weather becomes drier and there is less moisture in the air, many people experience an increase in dry mouth. Your mouth will dry up less at night if you use a humidifier in your bedroom to wet the air. The addition of a humidifier to your CPAP or BiPAP machine can significantly improve your night’s comfort.

4. Use chewing gum without sugar: Gum without sugar might encourage the production of saliva.

5. Use artificial saliva: Artificial saliva can be used to wet the mouth before going to bed and is available as an oral gel, rinse, or spray. It can ease the effects of dry mouth.

6. Examine your prescriptions: If you routinely use any drugs, see if a side effect listed is dry mouth. If it’s feasible, discuss altering the medicine with your doctor.

Conclusion

Your symptoms can significantly improve by using the advice we’ve provided above. But if you’re still having trouble preventing dry mouth while you sleep, you should speak with a qualified dental expert. They can suggest the most effective course of action and assist you in determining the cause.