When you wake up in a pool of drool, it's not only uncomfortable, but it can also be embarrassing and smell bad. If this happens to you often, you might have a problem with drooling.
We know that babies and toddlers still getting stronger will drool when they are teething. But there are many reasons why an adult might drool a lot while sleeping.
People use words like "salivating," "driveling," "slobbering," "dribbling," and "sialorrhea" to describe the uncontrollable flow of saliva from the mouth.
Some people can only stop drooling if they sleep on their back, while others with sleep apnea may need to take more drastic steps. Try some of the suggestions below and talk to your doctor if you still drool at night.
We'll talk about why this might happen and how to stop drooling in your sleep so you don't wake up in pain.
11 Steps for Curing and Preventing Drooling Disorders
- Change Your Sleeping Position
- Prop Up Your Head
- Treat Allergies
- Mouth Devices
- Home Remedies
- Stay Hydrated
- Medications
- Speech Therapy
- Botox Injections
- Surgery
- Get a Mouthguard
Change Your Sleeping Position
Drooling can be reduced by sleeping on your back. But switching to your back may seem impossible if you have always slept on your side. If you don't want to alter your sleeping routine, a wedge pillow can help by propping your mouth slightly upward so that gravity can do its thing.
Prop Up Your Head
Elevating your head can reduce nighttime drooling whether you sleep on your back or side. Finding the most comfortable pillow for your new sleeping arrangement is a simple approach to ease the transition.
It is crucial to pick a pillow with the appropriate loft for your needs because too much loft can stress your cranial and cervical spine alignment. Pillows with a medium loft, such as those made of down or a down equivalent, are typically the most comfortable for back sleepers.
Treat Allergies
It could be why your allergies cause you to drool at night. A reduction in allergy symptoms may result in a more remarkable ability to breathe through the nose instead of the mouth. One possible solution to nighttime drooling is to train yourself to breathe through your nose instead of your mouth.
Mouth Devices
Mandibular Device
Mandibular devices are mouthpieces or oral devices used to treat or prevent disorders, including drooling, snoring, or teeth clenching. Some are available over-the-counter at pharmacies, while others must be prescribed by a medical professional.
CPAP Machine
Positive airway pressure continuously Sleep apnea can be treated using a CPAP machine. This gadget should be effective in reducing drooling if sleep apnea is the underlying reason. Further investigation is warranted if a patient continues to drool excessively after treating the underlying cause.
5. Home remedies
Your mouth's salivary equilibrium must be kept in check. According to the American Dental Association, saliva is vital in awarding against illness.
Biting on a lemon wedge can help reduce saliva production. Some think citrus fruits can prevent saliva from collecting in your mouth by diluting it. Additionally, keeping yourself hydrated will cut the saliva you make, so that may be something to think about.
6. Stay Hydrated
It seems to be the reason that if muscle activity diminishes while you sleep, so does saliva production. In addition to contributing to the dreaded morning breath, nighttime saliva overproduction can also lead to drooling.
Maintaining an adequate fluid intake during the night can help alleviate drooling caused by increased saliva production. Try to drink 64 ounces of water daily, and keep a glass of water by your bed if you get thirsty in the middle of the night.
7. Medications
Adults with trouble controlling their salivary flow may benefit from medications targeting the salivary glands. Scopolamine, often known as Hyoscine, is the drug of choice for this purpose. The most common applications for this medication are preventing nausea and vomiting during travel or surgery.
8. Speech Therapy
Your doctor may suggest speech therapy if you have limited mobility in your tongue or jaw. Patients whose lips do not touch when they close their mouths may also benefit from this treatment plan. Though this isn't a quick fix, it has the potential to aid in the patient's gradual recovery.
9. Botox Injections
To temporarily relax facial muscles and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, many people turn to Botulinum toxin, more popularly known as Botox. Botox works by temporarily paralyzing the underlying muscles responsible for creating wrinkles with age. Salivary glands are no exception; putting Botox into them will cause them to stop working and produce saliva.
10. Surgery
Surgery may be considered when all other treatments have failed and a neurological issue is at the root of the drooling. Recovery time after the most common treatment option, removal of the salivary glands can range from a few weeks to several months.
11. Get a Mouthguard
Whether you suffer from TMJ or grind your teeth at night, a mouthpiece (also known as a mouthguard or night guard) can be a lifesaver. Although using a mouthguard may cause you to drool more at first, your mouth will get used to the sensation and may even help you reduce nighttime drooling.
Generic mouthguards can be purchased without a dentist's visit, but custom-fit mouthguards can be made to suit the patient's teeth and gums better.
Tip: Nighttime drooling is normal when starting to wear a mouthguard, but a custom-fitted mouthguard will assist reduce discomfort and eventually reduce drooling.
Drooling While Sleeping- Causes
The best mattress advisor recommends the steps above for how to stop drooling in your sleep. People need to investigate the root causes of drooling, though. Snoring has several root causes, including the following:
Sleeping Position
Your sleeping position may increase your risk of drooling. Possible causes include sleeping in uncomfortable positions on your stomach or side.
When your mouth is tilted downward, gravity makes it more probable that saliva will flow out the front or side of your mouth. Therefore, a quick solution to this problem is to sleep on your back.
Nasal Congestion
People are more likely to mouth-breathe when their nasal passages are clogged. Since more air may enter through an open mouth, more saliva can be stimulated, more movement can be facilitated, and more drool can be forced out of the mouth and onto the cushion.
Gastrointestinal Reflux Disorder
Chronic acid reflux is a frequent symptom of GERD, also known as gastrointestinal reflux disease. Patients develop heartburn when stomach acid refluxes into the food pipe (esophagus).
Patients often complain of lumping in their throats, making swallowing difficult. Drooling occurs when the body produces extra saliva in response to esophageal discomfort. This excess saliva is intended to help flush out the irritant.
Medications
Overcapacity of saliva can be a side effect of certain drugs. Clozapine, an antipsychotic drug, represents the vast majority of such cases. The medicine is thought to cause the neurological system to overcompensate by inducing the production of saliva and the paralysis of the muscles in the mouth, making it impossible to swallow.
Dysphagia
Diseases including Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis, and Muscular Dystrophy can lead to dysphagia or trouble swallowing. As a result of muscle weakness caused by these conditions, the mouth may not close properly, resulting in the loss of fluid intake. It's possible, though, that the problem is as simple as a sore throat making swallowing painful.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which one repeatedly stops breathing while sleeping. Excessive drooling might be a symptom of sleep apnea. Snoring, gasping for air when you wake up at night, being overly sleepy during the day, and waking up with a sore throat or dry mouth are further symptoms.
In many situations, treating sleep apnea will stop drooling, but if it doesn't, it may be due to something else.
Allergies & Infections
A sinus infection, in particular, can cause a person to drool excessively because the body produces more saliva to fight off the foreign invaders affecting the immune system. When the nasal passages close, the body shifts to breathing through the mouth, where the saliva can drain freely.
Allergies can also be a problem, to add insult to injury. For instance, congestion in the sinuses caused by allergies might cause drooling during sleep.
Neurological Disorders
Excessive drooling may also be caused by neurological disorders like cerebral palsy or stroke. Because of the weakness caused by these neurological disorders, the muscles in and around the mouth and jaw may not be able to keep saliva in. Furthermore, neurological dysfunction may hinder the brain from sending the body a message that it is time to swallow.
Epiglottitis
Infection of the cartilage plate at the back of the throat, known as epiglottitis, causes it to enlarge. When this happens, it's hard for the patient to swallow, so they lean forward on their hands and stick their tongue out to get as much air as possible while sitting in a tripod position.
Bell's Palsy
Facial muscular paralysis due to Bell's Palsy results from a viral infection. This disorder causes a drooping appearance on one side of the face, but it is usually short-lived and goes away on its own within a few months. Overproduction of saliva can occur if facial muscles become excessively weak or paralyzed during this time.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
The autoimmune disease Guillain-Barre Syndrome is quite dangerous. The body's incorrect immunological reaction causes damage to or death of nerve cells. Muscle weakness and paralysis can develop if nerves stop working usually. Drooling is just one of the numerous symptoms of this illness.
Is It Normal to Drool While Sleeping?
Drooling when sleeping is a common occurrence. The amount of saliva a person produces fluctuates during the day, possibly following a circadian cycle. Saliva production persists throughout the night, although it is typically higher at night and lower at night.
Saliva is crucial in maintaining oral health by keeping the mouth and throat moist. Saliva production must be carried throughout the night to drool.
Drooling while asleep is common but can be uncomfortable and dangerous. For example, chapped lips and mouth, foul breath, dehydration, and social embarrassment can all result from drooling too much.
Drooling Problems: A Complicated Issue
Drooling can have severe physical and mental health consequences. Having this symptom can be humiliating in social circumstances and lower one's confidence. Extreme drooling is associated with dryness, discomfort, and eventual skin collapse.
Saliva leaks out as drool if a person has trouble swallowing. In extreme circumstances, though, it may collect in the throat. An infection of the lungs known as aspiration pneumonia can result from inhaling this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it Common for Adults and the Aged to Drool?
Although drooling is more prevalent in the elderly, it is not considered normal and usually has a medical cause. Both neurological disorders and certain medications can cause drooling.
For instance, drugs used to treat neurological disorders like dementia or Parkinson's disease have been linked to undesirable side effects, including excessive drooling in the elderly.
In the case of seniors, drooling can occur not only at night but also during the day, possibly due to a neurological disorder or an adverse reaction to a medication. Drooling as an adult must be handled immediately because of the social and health risks.
Is Drooling common among Infants and Toddlers?
Infants and toddlers drool because they lack developed muscle control. Teething usually begins between 3 and 12 months and can linger for as long as 2 to 3 years.
Does a Sore Throat Cause Drooling?
True, a sore throat can cause problems with swallowing and dribbling. The problem arises because persons with severe sore throats may postpone eating to alleviate the discomfort.
Excessive drooling may increase the risk of dehydration and the spread of infection. If you want to be able to swallow without discomfort, try using a numbing spray like Chloraseptic.
The Takeaway
Drooling while sleeping can be reduced or stopped with simple steps. It's nothing to be ashamed of if you drool when you sleep, and there are easy things you can do to try to stop.
If you are worried about how much you drool while you sleep or if you think your saliva is a sign of something else wrong with your health, you should talk to your doctor about it. If you wake up often at night, never feel rested, get headaches often, and have other sleep problems, it could mean that something serious is going on.
If a person thinks they have an underlying health problem, they must get treatment immediately. Depending on how bad the condition is, drooling can cause medical and social issues if it is not treated.
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