Find out here the reasons for too much salivation and the tips you can use to prevent drooling in your sleep.
It has happened again!
When you wake up, you will discover a large, damp stain on the pillow .
This is of course uncomfortable, but nothing to worry about. In this guide I will introduce you to the causes and 6 possible solutions to drooling in your sleep.
Index
The causes of too much salivation
You don’t have to be embarrassed about drooling in your sleep – it happens for most people when they sleep particularly relaxed.
- A stain on the pillow can therefore be an indication that your body was exhausted & urgently needed some rest.
- When you sleep, the facial muscles relax and the saliva flows more easily from the open mouth.
If you like to sleep on your side or on your stomach, saliva can leak out very quickly in such positions.
When to pay closer attention to the flow of saliva
So drooling a little is nothing to worry about.
However, if you regularly wake up with a wet pillow, then a breathing disorder could also be the cause of the drooling. Then they should determine the cause of excess saliva .
- If the nose is blocked, the body automatically switches to mouth breathing during sleep .
- This is particularly common with colds and colds and (chronic) allergies.
Leaking saliva can be an indication of difficult breathing – at least if this occurs regularly and heavily.
- The normal condition is nasal breathing – the air is purified and enriched with moisture. This makes breathing easier and protects the lungs from air that is too dry.
- Breathing through the mouth, on the other hand, can have some negative effects on health – such as problems with oral hygiene (bad breath) or poor quality of sleep.
Note: If you frequently suffer from salivation at night, you should definitely address the subject at your next ENT doctor’s visit. This is the only way to ensure that you receive the best possible treatment.
6 effective remedies to prevent drooling in your sleep
To avoid leaking saliva, you should be able to breathe easily through your nose. Otherwise, your body will subconsciously breathe through your mouth while you sleep – and this will encourage drooling.
The following 6 tips can help you avoid drooling while you sleep.
1. Free your nose from congestion
Clogged noses are the most common cause of mouth breathing and lead to drooling while sleeping.
You can fight short-term colds or runny nose with over-the-counter nasal sprays such as those from Ratiopharm * or cold teas. Make sure you have the right temperature in your bedroom .
In the case of chronic allergies, a consultation with the doctor can help. Often, blocked noses also have anatomical reasons, such as a crooked nasal wall.
2. Choose the correct sleeping position
Different positions such as sleeping on your stomach encourage drooling in your sleep.
While the mouth stays closed in most sleeping positions, it is least likely to open when lying on your back. If you like to sleep on your side or on your stomach, this is worth a try.
What sleeping positions are suitable for a healthy and restful sleep, learn in a separate article.
3. Improve overall quality of sleep
Unconscious stress and a light sleep can lead to negative side effects.
Not only sweating or frequent changes of sleeping position, but also drooling can be the result. The better you sleep , the less likely the discomfort becomes.
4. Learn nasal breathing
Sometimes mouth breathing is also learned – in such a case it can be helpful if you concentrate on conscious nasal breathing for a few minutes while falling asleep.
Over time, you breathe through your nose while you sleep and your mouth remains closed.
Note: Learn more tips on how to breathe through your nose at night. Because sleeping with your mouth open may be unhealthy.
5. The right pillow
You can also experiment with different pillow heights. Different heights, degrees of hardness and materials can change the position of the head and prevent saliva from leaking.
However, you can usually only find out which pillow suits you by trying it out personally.
Tip: Read the buying guide to find out how to find the right pillow for you.
6. Reduce stress & seek relaxation
As mentioned at the beginning, even completely healthy people can leak saliva – especially if the facial muscles are very exhausted.
It is best to avoid too much stress in everyday life, because it also affects sleeping and drooling.
Summary: Too much salivation while sleeping
Now that you know about the most important causes & solutions to uncontrolled drooling, you can target the problem.
If the measures described above do not stop your saliva discharge, please consult a doctor. The subject is a bit awkward, but you don’t have to be embarrassed.
If this article helped you, please recommend it to others.
I created Sleep Knowledge to share my interests and experiences on healthy sleeping with others. On this page I am therefore dealing with interesting questions about the optimal night’s sleep & everything else that goes with it.