Drooling in Your Sleep

Drooling is something which is commonly associated with infants. However, it is not something that is restricted to children, rather there are several older children, teenagers as well as adults, who suffer from the problem of drooling in their sleep. People who drool frequently during their sleep will understand when I say that it can cause embarrassment when sharing the bed with another person. Also, waking up in the morning on the puddle of saliva which falls from the mouth on the pillow is also not a pleasant experience. Although this problem is common, people do not seek a cure for this because they think that it is a habit which cannot be changed. Nevertheless, it is actually possible to stop the problem of drooling with appropriate treatment measures. So, if you have the habit of drooling while you sleep, it is important for you to know about how to stop this habit.

What Causes Drooling During Sleep?
Before we look into the ways of stopping drooling during sleep, it is important to know what exactly causes it. This is because the treatment measure will depend on the reason that gives rise to this problem. One of the most common reason is sleeping with the mouth open. This is can be caused due to some kind of respiratory or sinus problem. Another reason for drooling is excessive production of saliva which can be caused due to dental problems like teething, teeth or gum infections, etc. Other than this, people who take some kind of drugs or medications may also drool during their sleep as increased saliva production may be a side effect of that drug. The anatomy of the mouth can also become a reason for drooling. For instance, people who cannot close their lip properly, who have a large tongue, crowded teeth or enlarged tonsils and adenoids are likely to suffer from the problem of drooling while sleeping.

How to Stop Drooling During Sleep
As I said earlier, if you want to find a solution to stop drooling, the first thing you have to do is to find the root cause of the problem. For this, it would be helpful to visit a doctor, especially a specialist who is an expert is curing ear, nose and tongue problems. Most cases of drooling during sleep happen because of open mouths. Normally, one does not have control on one's body while sleeping. So, if you have a respiratory problem, i.e., if your nose is blocked, you will not be able to breathe from your nose. Due to this, you will open your mouth unconsciously. When you do this, the body produces more saliva which drools out of the mouth while sleeping. So, the specialist will conduct a thorough check up to see whether any of the nasal passages are restricted. If the physician finds some respiratory, nasal or sinus problem, you will be given medications as well as other treatment measures to cure it.

Once you start taking the medications, you will be able to breathe easily from your nose. However, you may not get rid of the habit of sleeping with open mouth for a long time. Hence, it will be a good idea to change your sleeping position to prevent drooling while sleeping. In other words, instead of sleeping on your sides or on your stomach, you should make it a habit to sleep on your back. You may find this a little uncomfortable in the beginning, but, using wedge or contour pillows can help you to stay in one position for the whole night and will also give good support to your head and neck. This can help in preventing drooling because when you sleep on your back, the saliva will not flow out of your mouth, even if your mouth remains open.

Though drooling is not a serious problem, it can be quite frustrating as well as embarrassing. However, as you now know the solution for this problem, I am sure that you will try your best to get rid of it. Nevertheless, one thing you have to remember is that this change will not come overnight. But, following the treatment correctly like taking medications properly, indulging in some breathing exercises, etc. will definitely help you in eliminating the problem of drooling completely.