Dry Mouth at Night? It Could Be Sleep Apnea—Here's What to Do

December 13, 2024

Waking up with a dry mouth at night can be more than just annoying, it might be a symptom of a more serious condition like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

People with sleep apnea often struggle with things like mouth dryness because they tend to breathe through their mouths at night, disrupting normal saliva production.

But don't worry, understanding the cause is the first step toward a solution, right?

In this article, we’ll dive into why sleep apnea could be behind your dry mouth, how to identify the signs, and what you can do to prevent waking up with dry mouth.

What Causes Dry Mouth?

Dry mouth (also known as xerostomia) occurs when your salivary glands don’t produce enough saliva to keep your mouth moist or when moisture evaporates from the mucosal membranes of your mouth too fast.

This can happen for several reasons, including mouth breathing during sleep, certain medications like chemotherapy, dehydration, or medical conditions such as sleep apnea.

People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) often experience dry mouth because the airway becomes partially blocked during sleep. This can cause them to breathe through their mouth as a subconscious way to try and increase oxygen intake.

Other causes of dry mouth include dehydration, as well as risk factors like smoking, and even using a CPAP machine without proper humidification.

Dry Mouth Symptoms

A dry, “sticky” feeling in your mouth
Pain or scratchiness in your throat upon waking
Bad breath
Thick, stringy saliva
Difficulty chewing food or swallowing due to lack of moisture
Cracked lips
Mouth sores
A dry, rough tongue

Signs You Have Sleep Apnea

Dry mouth may be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, but it’s definitely not the only one!

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where your throat muscles relax, blocking your airway temporarily. This can cause you to stop breathing for short periods throughout the night.

Here are some of the key signs that you might have sleep apnea:

Snoring loudly and consistently

Waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat

Morning headaches

Gasping for air or shortness of breath while sleeping

Feeling very tired during the day, despite getting enough sleep

If you have any symptoms of sleep apnea, especially with a dry mouth, please see a doctor or sleep specialist for the correct diagnosis.

How to Fix Sleep Apnea

Treating sleep apnea can drastically reduce dry mouth and improve your overall quality of sleep, while also preventing some of the negative health consequences associated with the disorder.

Luckily, many treatments are available to cure sleep apnea, from lifestyle changes to medical interventions and more.

1. Mouth Tape

One simple yet effective solution is mouth taping, which encourages nasal breathing and can significantly reduce the symptoms of dry mouth.

By using a high-quality mouth tape like Dream Recovery, you can help keep your mouth closed during sleep, which not only prevents mouth dryness and snoring but also increases REM sleep, leading to deeper, more restful sleep.

Mouth taping can also boost cardiovascular wellness and oral health too. (1) (2) (3) (4)

Dream Recovery is the best mouth tape for sleep apnea and is designed with incredible materials like luxuriously soft organic bamboo silk and a specialized hypoallergenic adhesive that is gentle on the skin while strong enough to stay in place throughout the night without the need for any adjustments.

Learn more here on the benefits of mouth taping for sleep and the best mouth tape for sleeping.

Say goodbye to dry mouth with Dream Recovery Mouth Tape today!

2. Use a CPAP machine

A CPAP machine (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is the most common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea and can help prevent snoring and airway blockages. CPAP therapy involves a mask being placed over your face that sends pressurized air into your nose and mouth.

However, many people using a CPAP experience dry mouth as a side effect due to this pressurized airflow traveling over the airways.

If you’re waking up with a dry mouth, making adjustments to your CPAP setup may help.

For example, adding a humidifier to your CPAP machine can help prevent the side effect of dry mouth by adding moisture to the air coming through the mask.

Talk to your doctor or sleep specialist if you're experiencing dry mouth while using a CPAP and they should be able to help you find relief.

For other options, learn more here about CPAP alternatives for sleep apnea.

3. Positional Therapy

Positional therapy, a fancy term for adjusting your sleep position, can help keep your airway open and prevent mouth breathing.

Sleeping on your back can worsen obstructive sleep apnea, since the throat muscles relax more in this position, blocking the airway and forcing you to breathe through your mouth.

This causes dry mouth, as mouth breathing decreases saliva flow and increases the evaporation of saliva.

On the other hand, side sleeping encourages nasal breathing, which can reduce dry mouth symptoms.

You can stack extra pillows or use a specialized pillow to help you more easily stay in a side sleeping position to improve your sleep quality and reduce the chance of waking up with a dry mouth.

4. Hydration

Proper hydration is essential to prevent dry mouth at night, particularly for individuals with sleep apnea who may experience mouth breathing.

This is because dehydration reduces saliva production, which can leave your mouth feeling parched. Therefore, drinking water before bed and throughout the day can help to reduce dry mouth symptoms.

Avoiding caffeine and alcohol, which are known to dry out the mouth (and reduce sleep quality too!) can also help you maintain proper moisture within your mouth.

5. Nasal Strips and Dilators

For individuals with obstructive sleep apnea or those who breathe through their mouths at night, nasal congestion can worsen dry mouth. This is because having a hard time breathing through your nose can make you more reliant on mouth breathing.

Nasal strips and dilators are a simple and effective tool to open up the nasal passages, improving airflow and promoting nasal breathing.

Nasal strips or dilators are particularly beneficial for those with allergies, mild nasal blockages, or those who snore due to restricted airflow.

However, it’s important to note that they don’t prevent mouth breathing, since you can still open your mouth while using these devices.

Learn more here about choosing between nasal strips vs nasal dilators.

6. Chin Straps

A chin strap is another potential solution for those suffering from dry mouth due to sleep apnea and mouth breathing at night.

Chin straps work by wrapping around your head and underneath your chin to gently hold the jaw in place, preventing the mouth from opening while you sleep.

This encourages nasal breathing, reducing the risk of waking up with dry mouth or experiencing other symptoms of sleep apnea.

Chin straps are adjustable and in the past have often been recommended for individuals using a CPAP machine to ensure the mouth stays closed, preventing leakages of the pressurized air.

However, chin straps can be really uncomfortable and bulky, especially if you’re already wearing a CPAP mask!

On the other hand, mouth tape is a newer, more innovative, and less invasive option for preventing mouth breathing (and air leakage if you’re using a CPAP machine).

Learn more here about choosing between chin straps vs mouth tape.

FAQ

How do you treat dry mouth due to sleep apnea?

You can treat dry mouth due to sleep apnea by preventing mouth breathing with the help of mouth tape, chin straps, nasal strips and dilators, CPAP machines, and positional therapy.

What is the difference between obstructive sleep apnea vs central sleep apnea?

The difference between obstructive sleep apnea vs central sleep apnea is that obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the throat muscles relax and physically block your airway, restricting breathing temporarily. Whereas, central sleep apnea occurs when the brain doesn’t send the right signals to the muscles responsible for your breathing.

What are the warning signs of sleep apnea?

The warning signs of sleep apnea include waking up gasping for hair, dry mouth, feeling really tired during the day, headaches, and chronic snoring.

Does a sleep apnea machine cause dry mouth?

Sleep apnea machines (CPAP treatment) can cause dry mouth due to pressurized air from the mask, which can dry out the mucosal membranes and also affect the normal production of saliva that usually keeps your mouth moist.

What are the risk factors of sleep apnea?

The risk factors of sleep apnea are being overweight, having a bigger neck circumference, smoking, being older and male, having a family history of sleep apnea, using alcohol and sedatives, and having a narrow airway.

Final Thoughts

Dealing with dry mouth at night can be frustrating, but on a more serious note, it may be linked to a condition like sleep apnea - especially if you notice symptoms of fatigue, headaches, and waking up gasping for air.

The good news is that with interventions such as mouth taping, CPAP therapy, nasal strips, and lifestyle adjustments, you can reduce the risk your risk of dry mouth and get a better night’s sleep.

For an easy solution that promotes nasal breathing and alleviates dry mouth symptoms, try Dream Recovery Mouth Tape and experience the transformation for yourself.

Get Dream Recovery Mouth Tape Now

References:

Allen, Ruth. (2015) The health benefits of nose breathing. Nursing in general practice.
Watso, Joseph C et al. (2023) Acute nasal breathing lowers diastolic blood pressure and increases parasympathetic contributions to heart rate variability in young adults. American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology.
Choi, J E et al. (2016) Intraoral pH and temperature during sleep with and without mouth breathing. Journal of oral rehabilitation.
Lee, Yi-Chieh et al. (2022) The Impact of Mouth-Taping in Mouth-Breathers with Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Preliminary Study. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)

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