Have you ever wondered about the reasons you drool during sleep? Drooling happens when you produce too much saliva, suffer dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing), and are unable to keep saliva in the mouth. All these emanate from certain factors discussed in this article. Note, drooling during sleep is normal.
Here are the reasons you drool during sleep:
1. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is one of the reasons you drool during sleep. It is a sleeping disorder that causes temporary breathing pauses while you sleep. Opening your mouth while breathing even worsens this disorder and makes drooling easier – it escapes from your mouth. Obstructive sleeping apnea can make you feel sleepy in the daytime, have headaches, snoring or choking while asleep and waking up in the middle of the night.
2. Underlying Medical Conditions
An underlying medical condition can make you drool during sleep. Excessive drooling is common in people with neurodegenerative disorders. People with cerebral palsy and Parkinson’s disease can also experience excess salivation, which can also be linked to stroke, traumatic brain injury, epiglottitis, Huntington’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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3. Sleeping Position
Your sleeping position can make you drool during sleep. When you lie on your back during sleep, gravity causes excess saliva that stays in the mouth or moves to the throat. But if you sleep on your stomach, saliva is likely going to go towards your pillow, which results in drooling. In other words, sleeping on your back would minimise drooling, while sleeping on your stomach or side with your mouth open will likely make you drool.
4. Medication Side Effects
Medications such as antipsychotic drugs, Alzheimer’s medications, and antibiotics can lead to drooling because it is a side effects. But this does not mean you should stop taking your medications, you should rather talk to your doctor if it persists or becomes a case of concern. He or she could recommend something else for you to use.
5. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
“Heartburn” is the most known cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease, but difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia) and drooling are also symptoms. People with dysphagia always feel like there is a lump in their throat, which can lead to them drooling all the time. In addition, when the esophagus becomes obstructed or irritated, your body responds by producing more saliva to stop the irritation, which results in an outpour of saliva.
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