Drooling.
Drooling in your sleep can have a number of causes. In general, when you sleep, the muscles in your face and body relax. Your mouth may fall open causing excess saliva to run out.
Drooling
Other reasons for drooling too much, also called sialorrhea or hypersalivation, may include certain medications, nasal congestion, sleep apnea, neurological conditions, pregnancy, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
This article explains why you may drool when you sleep and what you can do about it.
Is It Normal to Drool in My Sleep?
Drooling in your sleep is often totally normal. However, if it happens suddenly and often or is excessive, it may signal a health condition.
Keep in mind that saliva production continues while you sleep to help protect the hard and soft tissues within your mouth and throat from acids and germs.
Drooling in your sleep is either due to making too much saliva, breathing with your mouth open and having saliva escape, or having difficulty swallowing. It can occur for a variety of reasons, including sleep position, pregnancy, as a side effect of medications, as well as certain conditions.
Sleep Position
The muscles of the body relax during sleep, especially during REM sleep. It’s possible that your mouth is falling open as you sleep. If you sleep on your side or your stomach, drool may be more likely to escape from the sides of your mouth as you sleep.
Nasal Congestion
One of the biggest reasons your mouth could open during sleep is that you can’t breathe well through your nose. If you’re congested because of a cold or allergies, you may begin to breathe through your mouth. If this occurs in your sleep, you may drool on your pillow.
Sleep Apnea.
Sleep apnea, a condition in which your breathing pauses during sleep, can cause nighttime mouth breathing and excess saliva.3 In addition to drooling when you sleep
Dental Problems.
If you have excess saliva and pain in your mouth or gums, you may have an infection or cavity in your teeth.8 Creating more saliva is one way the body might try to fight off an infection in the mouth. See your dentist for a cleaning and thorough check up.
