Why do I drool in my sleep?

Question

Almost nothing is more embarrassing than drooling in your sleep, and no matter how hard I try to keep my mouth closed it ends up happening. I get so nervous to sleep at other people’s houses because I don’t want to embarrass myself! What causes you to drool in your sleep?

Answer 1

Most of the time it’s natural, although embarrassing, but drooling in your sleep can also be a sign of some medical issue. If you have a condition that causes increased salivation then this could be the problem, considering it’s a little harder to control what your spit is doing in your mouth once you’re asleep. It could be a sign of sleep apnea or a blocked airway too though. Having trouble breathing could lead to sleeping with your mouth wide open to try to take in more air, and while your mouth is wide open it’s pretty easy for drooling to happen.

Answer 2

I got a different answer to explain “why do I drool in my sleep” here. Some allergies, especially food allergies, can make you drool more in your sleep. This is because they increase the amount of your saliva, and it has nowhere else to go but out while you’re sleeping! It might be inconvenient to you, but it’s just one of those involuntary things our bodies do.

Answer 3

You drool in your sleep because your body doesn’t consciously swallow your spit and keep it under control like you do during the day when you’re awake. We don’t walk around drooling all the time because we’re aware of our bodies more and will swallow excess spit. When you sleep though your body relaxes, especially your facial muscles relax. If you prefer to sleep on your side than your back, this is probably where the most drooling happens. Lying on your back makes all the excess spit in your mouth drain backwards, and your body will automatically swallow that. However, laying on your side allows excess spit to dribble out of the side of your mouth because your body is keeping track of it and clearing it.

Answer 4

I used to drool in my sleep all the time, and it was definitely a frustrating habit I was eager to break. Sleeping on your back helps a lot because it doesn’t let the spit collect in your mouth, but if you’re like me and have a hard time sleeping on your back then propping your head up with an extra pillow helps too! This helps your air flow as you breathe, and breathing through your nose instead of your mouth while you sleep does the same as well as keeps unwanted drool from spilling out. It can be hard to consciously keep your mouth closed while you sleep though.