Why Do I Drool in My Sleep?
Drooling occurs when you produce too much saliva, have trouble keeping the saliva in your mouth, or experience impaired swallowing. Producing excess saliva is known as sialorrhea or hypersalivation. Although drooling during sleep is normal, certain factors may cause you to drool more than normal.
Your Sleeping Position
Your sleep position can affect how much drool you find on your pillow in the morning. When a sleeper lies on their back, gravity generally causes any excess saliva they produce to stay in their mouth or travel to their throat. In side and stomach sleepers, on the other hand, gravity is more likely to pull saliva down toward the pillow, resulting in drooling.
If you are a side or stomach sleeper who sleeps with their mouth open, you may be even more likely to drool during sleep. Sleeping on your back may help minimize drooling. You can also take measures to breathe out of your nose and keep your mouth closed as you sleep, such as using mouth tape.
Infections and Allergies
If you are experiencing a cold, strep throat, or seasonal allergies, these conditions can inflame your sinuses and block your airways, causing you to breathe through your mouth and drool more than usual . Other infections, such as mononucleosis, tonsillitis, and sinus infections, can also lead to increased drooling.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Heartburn may be the most well-known symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but drooling and dysphagia , or difficulty swallowing, are also common symptoms. People who experience dysphagia with GERD may feel like there is a lump in their throat, which can cause them to drool more often. Additionally, whenever your esophagus is irritated or obstructed , your body may respond by producing more saliva to relieve the irritation, leading to more drooling as a result.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder that causes temporary pauses in breathing while you sleep. Mouth breathing often accompanies or even worsens OSA. Mouth breathing during sleep may make drooling more likely, since drool can more easily escape when your mouth is open. Talk to your doctor if you experience any additional symptoms of OSA, including:
- Snoring, gasping, or choking while asleep
- Waking up during the night
- Morning headaches
- Difficulty focusing during the day
- Daytime sleepiness
Bruxism
Drooling commonly accompanies sleep bruxism , or teeth grinding during sleep. This could be a result of bruxism’s association with mouth breathing, since saliva is more likely to leave the mouth when a person keeps their mouth open during sleep. In addition to drooling and mouth breathing, other common risk factors for bruxism include snoring, restlessness, and shorter sleep times.
Medication Side Effects
If you take prescription medications and drool at night, your medication may be a potential cause of the drooling. Excessive salivation and drooling are side effects of certain medications, including some antibiotics, antipsychotic drugs, and medications used to treat Alzheimer’s. If drooling is listed as a potential side effect of your medication, do not stop taking your medication. Instead, speak with your doctor first about your concerns, and ask if they can recommend an alternative medication that will not cause you to drool as much.
Underlying Medical Conditions
Your nervous system stimulates your salivary glands, which may explain why impaired swallowing and excessive drooling are common with neurodegenerative disorders. For example, around 70% of people with Parkinson’s disease and up to 80% of people with cerebral palsy experience excessive salivation. Difficulty swallowing and excessive drooling may also occur as a result of:
- Epiglottitis
- Bell’s palsy
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Huntington’s
- Stroke
- Traumatic brain injury
