For the last 5 years or more, I have been plagued with a very dry mouth when I wake up. So dry, that my tongue feels like a caked desert floor. But, as soon as I wake up, the saliva starts again and my mouth slowly becomes moist. This happens irrespective of season or whether there is heat or not in the room where I am sleeping. I am now 70 years old, but I do not believe that it is related to age. I believe it is related to the position of my head, neck, etc. while I am sleeping. I believe something gets constricted or blocked which prevents saliva from forming. It does not happen every night. I have asked my doctor about it and he rather dismissed it as not being a symptom of anything serious. It may not be; but it is annoying. I do not have dental problems or halitosis. Anyone have a similar problem?

Yes, I find off and on this happens to me, but it is because I stop breathing through my nose and use my mouth when I am sleeping. Dry mouth and throat wakes me up. Allergies can be the cause of blocked sinuses and therefore being unable to breath comfortably while sleeping.

Tick

1. How do you know whether you are breathing through your mouth or your nose if you are ASLEEP??

2. How can you control your breathing if you are asleep??

3. I live alone, so I cannot to tell me whether my mouth is open or closed when I sleep.

I know for sure, if my mouth is dry when it wakes me up, that I have been breathing through my mouth and not my nose. Why else would my mouth be dry?

#3. You don't have to live alone to know how uncomfortable it is to wake up with a dry ,mouth and throat from breathing through your mouth !

Tick

1. Tick, there may be many reasons your mouth is dry other than that you slept with it opened. You are assuming that the only cause of a dry mouth is sleeping with your mouth open. That is NOT a medical fact.

2. My comment about living alone was to indicate that I don't have anyone around (and awake) to tell me whether my mouth is open or not when I am sleeping, since I obviously cannot determine such a thing if I am asleep. Don't you understand that?

To no. 2, yes I can understand that. I gave you an explanation, also from a medical standpoint, if you can't accept that and understand it, then go to a doctor and be checked out. We can't diagnose here, or recommend, we can only think about the problem at hand and offer a reasonable explanation as to cause and effect. Can you understand that ? I am astute enough to realize why my mouth is dry when I wake up, I lsleep alone and I am also a senior citizen. As you pointed out you are, but I don't think that makes a difference to be quite honest.

When I realize that my sinuses are blocked, I sleep with my head elevated so my sinuses will drain. I don't think it has anything to do with saliva, and that is from a medical standpoint as well.

Right now I don't see any other members picking up the ball to figure out why your mouth is dry while sleep.

As to no. 1, well do you have a better explanation ?

Tick

Tick,

1. Yes, I do have a better explanation: In my case, I think somehow when I sleep a certain way, something consticts and prevents the salivary glands from doing what they would normally do. I have researched this issue on the Internet and discussed it with my MD (as I pointed out in my initial posting). So, I know that dry mouth can be caused several different things.

You may consider yourself "astute", but all I have tried to impress upon you is that there is no way for you to know if your mouth is opened or closed if you are ASLEEP. You may deduce -- correctly or incorrectly -- that your mouth must have been opened when you wake up and find it dry, but that is not indisputable PROOF. I appreciate your offering up your explanation of your OWN condition, but I simply cannot ignore simple logic. And, logically, I think our discussion of this point has been exhausted.

Thanks again.

AS, please understand that most members here are not medical professionals. The best you will get here is a good guess that comes from experience.

However, as a medical professional, I have to agree with Tickle on most of her points. I also agree with you to a point.

1) You are asleep so you can't tell when your mouth is open. Agreed.
2) You live alone so you can't tell if your mouth is open. Agreed again, BUT even if you did not live alone the person you live with is not going to stay awake to watch and see if your mouth is open.

Have you been tested for Sleep Apnea?

J-9,

Thanks for your comments.

Yes, I know that the members in this forum are not medical professionals. And, although it may not have been evident, I did appreciate Tick's good guess. What I did not understand was Tick's seeming inability to understand what you understood as indicated in your two points: When one is asleep one cannot be sure about anything regarding ones body.

I live alone but I have not always slept alone and do not do so now. I wouldn't expect a sleepmate to stay awake on my account. But, I know that I snore because of people I have slept with. I've simply never thought to ask a sleeping partner to check out my mouth when awake to see if it is opened or closed. But now that it has come up, perhaps I may. If I remember. :-)

No, I have not been tested for sleep apnea. I will have to find out what it is and decided if it is something I should check out.

Thanks.