5 Tips To Prevent Dry Mouth At Night

Noticing a dry mouth at night is a sensation that anyone may have experienced from time to time.

However, waking up with a very dry mouth regularly not only causes a lot of discomfort, but also increases the risk of developing oral conditions such as gum disease, cavities, canker sores, halitosis, and infections. 

Furthermore, it is essential to determine the causes of waking up with a dry mouth, as in certain cases it can be a symptom of an underlying medical condition such as diabetes, Sjögren’s syndrome, or Alzheimer’s. 

While it’s true that salivary flow decreases during sleep, this shouldn’t cause discomfort or be accompanied by other symptoms such as an intense feeling of thirst, a dry throat, thick saliva, and/or a sticky tongue.

The main reason why your mouth dries out regularly at night is a condition called dry mouth syndrome or xerostomia.

This disorder affects the salivary glands, which do not produce enough saliva to keep the mouth moist.

People with xerostomia tend to experience dry mouth especially at night and upon waking.

As a result, it can cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from a mild sensation of dry mouth to discomfort that affects the quality of life and health of those who suffer from it.

For example, it causes changes in the sense of taste, promotes recurrent oral conditions, or causes difficulties with chewing, speaking, and swallowing.

Other symptoms of dry mouth include a sticky feeling in the mouth, frequent thirst, sticky, thick, and stringy saliva, bad breath, sore or dry throat and hoarseness, burning, tingling, dryness, redness, and/or furrows of the tongue, and sores around the mouth and lips.

The truth is that, due to the decrease in saliva production during sleep, xerostomia tends to worsen during sleep. Hence, the main discomfort tends to occur upon waking.

The main causes of dry mouth at night are medication use. The most common are those used to treat depression, high blood pressure, and anxiety, as well as some antihistamines, decongestants, muscle relaxants, and pain relievers.

Chemotherapy drugs can also cause xerostomia in cancer patients by changing the nature and quantity of saliva produced. This side effect is usually temporary, and salivary flow returns after completing treatment.

Another reason why your mouth may dry out at night may be age. Not so much because of the aging process, but because older people are more likely to take medications that cause dry mouth .

Aging can also interfere with the ability to process these drugs.

Other factors that may be behind dry mouth in older people include certain underlying illnesses, such as those mentioned above, as well as poor nutrition.

Occasionally, an injury or surgery that causes nerve damage in the head and neck area can also be a cause of dry mouth , as can infections, allergies, excessive sweating , and sleep apnea.

The latter is a common cause of dry mouth at night, as are snoring and breathing.

Xerostomia can also be aggravated by tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use.

For all these reasons, the fact that you experience a persistent dry mouth upon waking shouldn’t be underestimated . Furthermore, there are various measures, remedies, and treatments to prevent and relieve dry mouth .

Tips to prevent dry mouth at night

For dry mouth, treatment can vary greatly depending on the symptoms it causes and how it affects the sufferer’s daily life and health.

However, the steps to follow are usually the following: 

1. Determine the cause of waking up with a dry mouth . Experiencing a dry mouth and extreme thirst at night occasionally shouldn’t be a cause for concern.

This can happen, for example, if you haven’t consumed enough fluids throughout the day or if you’ve consumed alcohol at dinner. It can also happen if you’re experiencing an infection and have a fever.

However, as mentioned above, recurring thirst and dry mouth at night can be due to different causes that need to be addressed.

In the vast majority of cases, treating the cause of xerostomia will lead to significant improvement in symptoms or even complete disappearance. For example, when the cause is smoking, and the person quits.

If dry mouth at night is caused by taking certain medications (the most common cause), alternatives may be offered, the dose may be changed, or other medications may be chosen that do not cause this side effect.

It’s essential to seek medical advice if you regularly experience dry mouth upon waking . Only then can you prevent health implications and find measures to effectively relieve symptoms.

2.  Make lifestyle changes . Drinking water throughout the day (at least 8 to 10 glasses) and consuming enough fluids can go a long way toward preventing dry mouth at night.

Chewing gum or sucking on sugar-free hard candy can stimulate saliva production.

Instead, limit or avoid caffeine and alcohol, as they can cause further dry mouth and irritation.

At the same time, smoking and marijuana use, if applicable, should be abandoned.

Finally, you should be careful with spicy or salty foods, as they can irritate the mucous membranes and aggravate dry mouth syndrome.

3. Use products to relieve dry mouth.  There are several specific products for treating xerostomia that act like artificial saliva, as they contain electrolytes similar to those found in saliva.

They are usually saline spray solutions and also contain active ingredients that hydrate and lubricate the oral cavity. They also contain ingredients such as sodium fluoride and xylitol that offer protection against cavities and other oral conditions.

The main advantage of these sprayers is that they can be used whenever necessary throughout the day.

There are other products for dry mouth that, in addition to acting as artificial saliva, repair and regenerate the mucosal epithelium. In these cases, they often include ingredients such as hyaluronic acid.

These are especially recommended when dry mouth causes significant irritation, discomfort, and difficulty speaking, chewing, and swallowing.

4. Incorporate certain bedtime habits.  There are steps you can take before bed to help prevent dry mouth upon waking.

When brushing your teeth, it’s recommended to finish with a fluoride mouthwash. In some cases, it may be advisable for this product to also contain antimicrobial or antiseptic ingredients such as chlorhexidine or triclosan for chemical plaque control.

What mouthwash should not contain is alcohol, as it could irritate the mucous membranes and cause even more dry mouth.

Another remedy for dry mouth while sleeping is to spray the mouth cavity with the aforementioned artificial saliva products just before going to bed.

You can also apply a moisturizer specifically designed for dry skin to moisturize your lips and relieve any dry, chapped areas at the corners of your mouth.

Using a humidifier while sleeping is another commonly recommended remedy for dry mouth.

Finally, try to breathe through your nose, not your mouth. Therefore, it’s important to seek treatment for snoring and/or sleep apnea. 

5. Take medication for dry mouth. In certain cases, medications that produce saliva (sialogogues) may be necessary. This is especially true when you don’t experience improvement despite following the recommendations above to prevent dry mouth at night.

The most commonly used saliva-producing medications are atropine, pilocarpine, and cevimeline.

Regular dental checkups are the perfect opportunity to address any oral discomfort. However, when the sensation of dry mouth at night occurs suddenly, recurrently, or is severe, it’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible.