Dry mouth

[TheOtherHalf]

That last few nights my OH has been waking up with a really dry mouth. So dry in fact, he says all the fleshy parts inside his mouth are stuck to his teeth. Its disturbing his sleep pattern as he has to keep waking up to drink water and then of course he goes to the loo. He does snore but no more than usual these last few days, and wonders is it just because his mouth is open most of the night or could it be some underlying reason. He drinks a lot of water throughout the day too. Hes 61 this year and is not on any medication so it cant be that.

I need a good nights sleep so any help appreciated please

[Sqad]

Type1 diabetes must be excluded.

Under active thyroid should be excluded.

Nasal obstructive disorders e.g deviated nasal septum or nasal polyps should also be excluded.

See his GP to address the above.

[TheOtherHalf]

Thanks Sqad. I will try to get him to the docs, but he hs hardly ever the seen the Doc in his life. Hes usually a very healthy specimen and like most men, wont go even if theres a problem. Thanks again

[Sqad]

Sorry...error .....should have read Type 2 diabetes.

[RATTER15]

I also suffer the same dry mouth often during the night, its actually a very unpleasant feeling, I snore and have quite severe sleep apnea. I always keep a drink next to the bed. The thing to do to prevent all the trips to the loo is to have a few sips to swill the mouth and to re-hydrate, I don't actually get thirsty, I just need some moisture back in my mouth.

[TheOtherHalf]

Thanks for that Ratter. he also says hes not thirsty but just takes a few sips and swills it around until he feels ok again. The only reason he goes to the loo is because hes now awake and its becoming a habit I think.

[nohorn]

To the other half: I had the same thing, very frustrating, I eventually went to a sleep clinic and mild sleep apena was diagnosed. I started using a C-pap machine and it did help. About 99% cure I would say. I still get a dry mouth and I drink water a couple of times during the night. I do believe I was having an oxygen problem, cause now I do not get nightmares any more. The chin strap does not work to keep you mouth closed. If you have it tight enough to do the job it so tight you can't sleep. It is important to stay hydrated druing the day too. So I would say if he wants any sleep to get diagnosed and use a C-pap. He will sleep like a baby after he gets used to it. Good Luck, you need your sleep too.

[TheOtherHalf]

Thanks nohorn. Glad you are ok now. Im still trying to get him to see GP but hes very reluctant. He does drink plenty of water through the day, even instead of tea and coffee. I`ll keep trying though.

[WheelhouseJoe]

An over the counter product to help stimulate saliva production could work for you. For overnight use, you should look into a long-lasting tab like OraCoat XyliMelts (http://www.oracoat.com).