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Are you struggling with dry mouth after a night of sleep? You’re not alone. Millions of Americans awake feeling dehydrated in the morning after a night of sleep. But why?

One standard answer is breathing through the mouth at night, which is often a consequence of sinus congestion, the common cold, or allergies. But, mouth breathing is also a consequence of another condition – obstructive sleep apnea or another condition that makes breathing during sleep difficult.

Dry Mouth Discomfort

Dry mouth can make you feel uncomfortable – and for a good reason. Known medically as xerostomia, dry mouth means a lack of saliva. Saliva plays a vital role in your mouth by making speaking and eating even possible. Saliva also contains the necessary enzymes that start the breakdown of food in the digestive process, and it also has the minerals in it that help to strengthen your teeth against the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

What Causes Dry Mouth?

In many cases, it’s your sleep habits. Like we said, clogged nasal passages can also play a role, but many people living with sleep apnea who gasp for breath or leave their mouth wide open to breathe during sleep are affected by the condition.

Here are some signs you’re breathing through your mouth at night:

• snoring
• dry mouth
• bad breath (halitosis)
• hoarseness or sore throat
• waking up tired and irritable
• day time fatigue
• brain fog and lack of focus
• dark circles under the eyes

Other causes of dry mouth include high blood pressure, sinus conditions, anxiety, depression, Parkinson’s disease, aging, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Sjogren’s syndrome, and cancer treatment.

Other risk factors include tobacco, smoking, vaping, and drug use.

How Can You Prevent Dry Mouth?

If you’re regularly waking up with a mouth like the Sahara desert, we suggest that the first thing you do is call us for an appointment.

There are a few things you can do to bring yourself relief in the meantime, however. Here are a few things we recommend:

• Drinking more water
• Using mouthwash and mouth rinses designed to relieve dry mouth symptoms
• Reducing alcohol and limiting caffeine
• Avoiding spicy or acidic foods
• Stop smoking (you should anyway!)

But, the best course of action you can take is to talk to Dr. Korous to get to the heart of the cause of your condition. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Millennium Smiles today at 972-468-8771.