Sleep Health

Published July 28, 2022

10 min

How To Stop Drooling In Your Sleep: 10 Tips

Often, people wake up with a wet patch on their pillow around their mouth. This wet patch is formed by the excessive saliva that escapes from the mouth of people while they are sleeping. This leaking

DreamCloud Editorial Team

Table of contents

Switch Up Your Sleeping Position Prop Up Your Head Stay Hydrated Treat Your Allergies Get a Mouthguard Consider Medication Look Into Injectable Treatments Try Speech Therapy Experiment With Home Remedies Enquire About Surgery What Causes Drooling While Sleeping? When To See A Doctor? Conclusion Frequently Asked Questions

Often, people wake up with a wet patch on their pillow around their mouth. This wet patch is formed by the excessive saliva that escapes from the mouth of people while they are sleeping. This leaking of saliva from the mouth is known as drooling.While it is common for people to drool every once in a while, doing so regularly can be embarrassing and lead to other health issues. To avoid the problem, you may consider learning how to stop drooling in your sleep? Given below are some ways that can help ensure the same.

Switch Up Your Sleeping Position

Changing your sleeping position is an effective way to stop drooling while sleeping, especially if you are a side or stomach sleeper. You can try sleeping on your back for a few days to effectively manage the problem of drooling during sleep . When you sleep on your back, any excess saliva stays inside the mouth as gravity pulls it down into the throat. Alternately, when you sleep on your side or your stomach, the drool is most likely to drip out of the mouth due to the action of gravity.

Prop Up Your Head

Stay Hydrated

You should drink enough water during the day to avoid producing drool at night while you sleep. Keeping the body hydrated might helps prevent excessive saliva production, which can be a major cause of drooling. You should make a habit of consuming at least 3-4 liters of water every day to stay hydrated. Keeping a bottle of water handy is also advisable to avoid getting out of bed if you feel thirsty at night.

Treat Your Allergies

If you are seeking an answer to why do I drool when I sleep, the answer might lie in your allergies. Health issues such as sinus infections and allergies can cause an increase in saliva production which can result in drooling. This is because allergies might cause the nose to become stuffy and prevent you from breathing normally. This will force you to breathe through your mouth, and the increased airflow causes the mouth to become dry. Consequently, the body produces more saliva to maintain the natural moisture levels.

Get a Mouthguard

A mouthguard , also known as the night guard, can help relieve problems like teeth grinding, which can cause drooling. You need to put the device in your mouth before going to sleep to keep your lips closed and keep your tongue and teeth in the right position. Using a mouthguard may result in a slight increase in drooling over the first few weeks. However, as you get accustomed to the device, you will experience a significant reduction in drooling. It is also advisable to seek the advice of your dentist about how to prevent drooling at night by using a mouthguard.

Consider Medication

If you have tried various methods to prevent drooling at night but failed to get the desired results, you might consider taking medication for the same. You should seek the advice of an expert medical practitioner about how to stop excess saliva at night using the right medication. Even though all medication for drooling may not require a prescription, taking them without your doctor's recommendation should be avoided. The doctors may not always suggest oral medication and may recommend scopolamine patches after considering your specific condition and needs.

Look Into Injectable Treatments

Apart from medications, you may also consider the option of injectable treatments to solve the problem of how to stop drooling. In this context, Botox injections have emerged as a popular choice among people seeking a solution to the problem of drooling. As a part of the treatment, botulinum toxin or Botox is injected into your salivary glands. This paralyzes your facial muscles and prevents the glands from functioning at their full potential. However, since Botox is not an FDA-approved treatment for drooling, you should seek the advice of a certified medical practitioner before opting for the same.

Try Speech Therapy

If you are facing any problems with your speech, it might be a reason behind your drooling while sleeping. In such a situation, you might consider the option of trying speech therapy to overcome the problem. While attending speech therapy sessions, you will be taught exercises to strengthen the tongue and jaw muscles. With regular practice, these exercises can help improve the stability of these organs. The sessions will also help to improve your breathing even when your mouth is closed, teach you to swallow better, and help reduce drooling.

Experiment With Home Remedies

An effective way to overcome the problem of drooling is by maintaining a healthy balance of saliva in the mouth. Saliva helps safeguard your body from infections which is why you need to ensure that your mouth always has an ample amount of saliva. This can be ensured by trying out various home remedies, including drinking enough water. You may also try biting on a lemon wedge, as its citrus content helps to thin out the saliva. The thinning of saliva reduces the chances of its pooling and dripping out of your mouth as you sleep.

Enquire About Surgery

If you are facing the problem of excessive drooling and no method is working for you, then you might enquire about getting a surgical solution. Surgery is often the last option and reserved for people with severe cases of hypersalivation. The surgical procedure may include the removal of the salivary glands, modifying salivary gland ducts, or altering the nerve connections to these ducts. It is one of the most effective ways to get rid of the problem of drooling, although it is recommended for patients in general.

What Causes Drooling While Sleeping?

If you are facing the problem of drooling, you often ask, "Why am I spitting in my sleep?". Several reasons might make you drool while sleeping, and being aware of the same can help you find the right solutions to overcome the problem. The most common of these reasons include the following.

Your Sleeping Position

The position in which you sleep impacts the level of drooling you may experience. If you prefer to sleep on your side or your stomach, you are likely to drool more. However, if you sleep on your back, you are likely to salivate less while you are asleep.

Infections and Allergies

Infections and allergies tend to clog the nose and leave the mouth dry. This increases saliva production inside the mouth, especially at night. The excessive saliva thus produced can lead to an increase in drooling. Once the infection or allergy has subsided, you will experience a natural reduction in drooling if it is not caused by other factors.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

If you are suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, it may lead to drooling. So if you are wondering about how to stop salivating, you should consider treating GERD. This is because whenever your esophagus is irritated or obstructed , the body responds by producing excessive saliva, which causes drooling

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

People suffering from obstructive sleep apnea or OSA are often forced to breathe through the mouth. This makes the mouth dry and leaves their mouth open, making them prone to drooling. If you suffer from this sleep-related breathing disorder, it might be the reason behind your drooling.

Bruxism

The problem of grinding your teeth while sleeping, also known as sleep bruxism , is one of the common causes of drooling. The problem often results in people sleeping with their mouths open which results in the saliva dripping out. It can also lead to other sleep-related issues, which can also increase the chances of drooling.

Medication Side Effects

Excessive salivation may also be caused due to the side effects of specific medication. These may include medicines for treating Alzheimer's, antipsychotic drugs, and even some antibiotics. It is advisable to consult your doctor in case you are taking any of these medications and experiencing drooling. You should not stop taking the medication simply to stop drooling and without consulting your doctor.

Underlying Medical Conditions

If you are suffering from any underlying medical condition such as epiglottitis, Bell's palsy, Huntington's disease, or traumatic brain injury, it can make you drool at night. These underlying ailments often cause excessive salivation, which, in turn, can make you drool while sleeping. Discussing the problem of drooling resulting from these health issues with your doctor can help you find the best way to stop it.

When To See A Doctor?

Drooling every once in a while as you sleep is quite normal. The above tips can guide you on how to stop slobbing and overcome the frustration and embarrassment of spitting on your pillow each night. However, suppose you are not getting any relief from the problem even after trying the above solutions. In that case, you may consider seeing a doctor and getting the right solution for this problem. Other health issues can cause excessive drooling, which experienced healthcare professionals can only reveal. The doctors access your health to determine the reasons for drooling and offer reliable and personalized advice to address the issue effectively.

Conclusion

Following the above tips can help you overcome excessive salivation and enjoy a good night's sleep. Ignoring the issue can disrupt your sleep and lead to various other health issues. At the same time, panicking about a little drool on your pillow every morning is also not recommended. The awareness of the most common causes of drooling can also prepare you to face the problem and address it on time.Disclaimer: This website does not offer medical advice nor professional medical services; rather, it is provided solely for educational, informational, and/or entertainment purposes. Individuals seeking medical advice should consult a licensed physician. The information provided should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of any condition, disease, or injury. When you have a medical condition, you should always talk to licensed doctor or other certified medical professional. You should never delay seeking professional medical advice or treatment based on the contents of this website. Call 911 or immediately go to the nearest emergency room if you think you may have a medical emergency. The contents of this website are provided "as-is", Dreamcloud Sleep and its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, employees, contributors disclaim any warranty of the information contained herein. Please contact support@dreamcloud.com to report any errors, omissions, misinformation, or abuse.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does drooling in your sleep mean? Many things can cause drooling. A lot of people occasionally drool. When a person swallows less regularly when sleeping, drooling is common as many people keep their mouths open while sleeping and breathe through the same instead of a nose. Is drooling in your sleep good? Drooling in your sleep is not uncommon, but it might not necessarily be a sign of health complications. However, if you drool excessively, you should see a doctor for any possible neurological or sleep disorders. How do you treat drooling? Before you go to sleep, drink a glass of water and chew a lemon wedge. This will help you produce less saliva and hence drool less.