Last Updated on February 22, 2024
It has probably occurred to you in the middle of the night while you are asleep. It was maybe an indication that you were dehydrated, or you were getting sick. You tried to feel your mouth, and it felt like an extension of a desert.
Welcome to xerostomia, or dry mouth. It’s a condition that occurs regularly and needs to be treated. Failure to manage it might result in speaking and eating problems, and affect your oral health. Here are six home remedies to relieve dry mouth at night.
1. Keep a Jar of Water Close to Your Bed
I would have said keep a glass of water near your bed, but exposed water is not safe. Some germs might get into it. Ensure that your jar has a lid. When you wake up in the middle of the night and feel dryness in your mouth, drink the water.
It will help you feel refreshed and hydrated again. Make sure to drink much of it. If you are the kind of person that sleeps like a log, drink enough water before going to sleep, and your bladder might wake you up.
2. Use a Humidifier to Improve Your Room’s Air Moisture
One of the causes of dry mouth is irritation of the body. According to a dental hygienist school San Diego, when your body is irritated, it becomes dehydrated, and the amount of saliva produced minimizes. Controlling the humidity in your room helps your body maintain its moisture level.
A humidifier is the most convenient tool to improve the air moisture in your room. With a running humidifier, your surroundings become more comfortable, and you get to enjoy a good night sleep.
3. Breathe with Your Nose and Not Your Mouth
What’s the purpose of your nose if you are not using it to breathe? Besides, if you want clean oxygen to reach your lungs, it should pass through the mucus and the hair in your nose, not your mouth.
Air carries moisture, and so breathing with your mouth takes away the little moisture you had in your mouth. To maintain overall health, avoid breathing with your mouth and always use your nose. You will avoid oral problems and also keep your lungs clean.
4. Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol
Using mouthwash before sleeping is something you should never attempt even in your next life. Mouthwash contains alcohol, and alcohol tends to dry your mouth. The same applies to caffeinated drinks like coffee.
Avoid these two at all costs. To ensure that you don’t have a dry mouth in the middle of good sleep, watch what you gulp down before retiring to bed. Preferably, take water.
5. Declare a Tobacco-Free Life
When it comes to smoking, even your government is concerned about you. It wants you to live long enough to help pay the national debt. Smoking is the worst way you can tell your body you aren’t thankful. Among a bucketful of problems it brings, a dry mouth is one of them.
Chewing or smoking tobacco makes your body dry. Smoking is like breathing with your mouth, and chewing, well, what happens when you eat bread alone? Your mouth is left dry.
6. Avoid Some Foods
Make some adjustments to your diet. Some food exacerbates the condition. Spicy food, salty, and acidic ones are not recommended. Digestion starts in the mouth, and the mentioned foods tend to dehydrate your body as they break down.
You can make fruits such as pineapples, watermelons, kiwi and pawpaw part of your dinner. These are juicy fruits that take less of your body’s moisture.
Conclusion
Nothing is as refreshing as a good night sleep. It helps you face the tasks ahead confidently. Some people find it hard to catch sleep again after they wake up in the middle of the night. Don’t wait for a dry mouth to interfere with your night. Consider the remedies above.