Dry mouth after sleeping can be caused by sleep apnea, dehydration, sleeping in a heated room, or medication use. Treating sleep apnea, staying hydrated, regulating room temperature, and switching medications can help alleviate symptoms.
There are a wide variety of things that can contribute to the development of dry mouth. When a person develops dry mouth after sleeping, however, the causes may be easier to pinpoint. For example, an individual who has a condition such as sleep apnea, which causes them to keep their mouth open for much of the night, may wake up with a dry mouth. It can also result from not consuming fluids at night, sleeping in a heated room that doesn’t have much humidity in the air, or even using some medications before going to bed.
Sleep apnea is a condition that can contribute to dry mouth while a person sleeps. When a person has sleep apnea, their breathing stops and then starts repeatedly throughout the night. Often, a person with this condition also snores and snorts a lot. A person with this condition will often have a dry mouth because their mouth can stay open while snoring and they experience breathing changes during the night.
Sometimes, dry mouth and sleep are related because a person becomes mildly dehydrated during the night. For example, many people stop drinking liquids right after dinner in the evening and then sleep for eight hours or more. Some people experience dry mouth at night due to this lack of fluids, and it can be even worse when a person takes medications at night. For example, some sleep aids and allergy or cold medications can also cause dehydration.
In some cases, a person may develop dry mouth because they rest in a heated room. Heat can reduce the level of humidity and cause a person’s mouth to feel dry when they wake up. In fact, many people feel thirsty immediately upon waking up because of this.
If a person notices that their mouth is dry after sleeping, they can take steps to relieve it. Treating sleep apnea can help, and in some cases, a person may experience relief if they drink more water throughout the day and make sure they get at least some fluids between dinner and bedtime. Some people may also regulate the heat in their bedrooms or use a humidifier to add moisture to the air. Switching medications can also help.
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