Drooling in your sleep is one of the funniest ways to illustrate someone who is enjoying a deep and delicious sleep. But getting up with a wet pillow is not always the best option. In fact, it could indicate a health problem.
Drooling is the excess saliva that comes out of the mouth. Although it can be uncomfortable when it happens, most of us drool from time to time, especially during sleep. At night, the swallowing reflexes relax like the rest of the muscles in the face. This causes saliva to build up and can leak out the sides of the mouth.
Causes of drooling when sleeping
It seems harmless enough, and you’ll probably forget it once you clean the pillow, but if you have other symptoms, it could be an infection, an allergic reaction, or even a digestive condition.
Sleeping position
The most common cause of drooling in our sleep is so simple that you may never have thought about it, and it has to do with gravity. The position you sleep in often causes drool to collect inside your mouth.
People who sleep on their side or stomach are more likely to drool when they sleep. Especially if they tend to breathe through their mouths, or if you have narrow nasal passages, the accumulated drool can start to come out of the lips when they open to breathe.
Blocked sinuses or nasal obstruction
If you have a stuffy nose from a cold or infection, you may find that you are drooling more than usual. With regular swollen or blocked nasal passages, or sinuses narrower than other people, we may drool all the time.
Blocked sinuses make it more likely to breathe through our mouth when sleeping, and “mouth breathing” causes more saliva to come out. Mucus may be the culprit, but things like nasal swelling or any type of blockage, such as a deviated septum, nasal polyp, or enlarged adenoids, can cause or worsen mouth breathing.
GERD
Gastrointestinal reflex disorder (GERD) is a digestive condition in which the contents of the stomach return to the esophagus and damage the lining of the esophagus. GERD can cause dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) or make you feel like you have a lump in your throat. This sensation leads to excessive drooling in some people, as your body reacts to the irritation by producing a large amount of saliva.
Some people with GERD have heartburn, but this is not always the case. Other symptoms of the condition include pain or difficulty swallowing, or the feeling that food is stuck in the throat, belching, bad breath, chronic sore throat or sore throat, swollen gums, or a hoarse voice from the morning.
Drooling when sleeping from allergies
Whether you’re sensitive to tree pollen or dust mites, allergies are no joke to those who fight them. If allergies are intensifying, it is common to have excessive saliva and nasal congestion during the day, and particularly at night. We may also have a dry cough, shortness of breath, itchy, or watery eyes.
When we go to sleep, nasal congestion tends to get worse due to increased blood flow to the nose and head. And when trying to fall asleep with a stuffy nose, you tend to breathe through your mouth, making it easier for the slime to escape.
Side effects of medications
Some medications can make us more prone to drooling. Antipsychotic drugs (especially clozapine) and drugs used to treat Alzheimer’s disease have been shown to cause excessive drooling. This happens as a consequence of making swallowing difficult. Some antibiotics can also cause excess saliva when sleeping.
Sleep apnea
When you have sleep apnea, sleep is interrupted because your body occasionally stops breathing during the night. Drooling in your sleep can be a risk factor for sleep apnea. This can be very serious and you must receive a proper diagnosis. If you drool a lot at night, ask yourself if you have any of the other signs of sleep apnea, such as loud snoring, waking up startled or short of breath at night, problems with attention or trouble concentrating during the day, a sore throat or dry mouth. upon waking up.
It is important to see a doctor to find out if you have one or more of these symptoms in addition to drooling.
Solutions to stop drooling when sleeping
The first thing we should try is to change the sleeping position. By sleeping on your back, we can better control the flow of saliva so that it does not end up on the face or soaking the pillow. If we have trouble sleeping on our backs, it may be because we find it more difficult to breathe when we are in a new position.
Pay attention if you feel “congested” or have acid reflux while trying to sleep on your back. Simply paying attention to how you feel while falling asleep can be the key to discovering if there is a deeper problem.
Home remedies
It is important to maintain a healthy balance of saliva in your mouth. Saliva plays a vital role in protecting the body from infection.
If you are trying to drool less, you may try biting into a lemon wedge. Some people believe that citrus fruits can dilute saliva, making it less likely to build up. You can also consider drinking more water, as staying hydrated will dilute the saliva we produce.
If you suffer from allergies, sleep with your head elevated. It can also be a great idea to run a humidifier at night to open the nasal passages and provide moisture inside the nose. You can even use a saline spray before bed to clear your nose.
Mandibular device
A mandibular device is an oral appliance. It’s something you put in your mouth, like a mouth guard, to sleep more comfortably and reduce drooling and snoring.
These devices are available to purchase online or at some specialty surgical supply stores. They also work as bruxism protectors. The most advisable thing is to go to a specialist to evaluate your case and recommend the best splint.
CPAP machine
If drooling is an indication of sleep apnea, you will need to seek treatment. The most recommended treatment for sleep apnea is something called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.
A CPAP machine will not only help you sleep more soundly, but it will also ensure that you are in a safe position and breathing properly at night. You can drool with the CPAP machine turned on without any problem. Talk to a sleep apnea treatment specialist to find out how you can prevent this from happening.
Botox injections
Some people choose to take an aggressive approach to extreme salivation. One of these treatments involves injecting Botox into the salivary glands that surround the mouth. This prevents the glands from producing excess saliva.
Unfortunately, this treatment is not permanent, as the Botox will wear off over time and the glands will become functional again. It will be necessary to analyze if it is an economic option in the long term or if other more durable treatments are required.
Surgery to stop drooling when sleeping
There are cases where a doctor recommends that the salivary glands be removed. People who need to have their salivary glands removed generally have underlying neurological problems that are much more serious than simply drooling in their sleep.
These surgeries are usually successful in curbing excessive salivation, but people considering surgery for this symptom will be advised to try other treatments first.
