Dry mouth leads to nasal congestions, whereas a dry throat induces a sore throat in an apnea patient. Dry mouth often occurs due to the sleep posture of the patient and the position of the mouth and tongue to be precise. If you sleep slack-jawed with mouth open, chances are that you may wake up with a dry mouth feeling thirsty or gasping for air. That is one of the reasons, why many sleep apnea patients keep a glass of water by the bedside to tackle the symptom. However, waking up frequently for water would disrupt the sleep pattern.

Remedy for Dry Mouth with Apnea Chin Strap

You can use an apnea chin strap to keep the mouth closed throughout the sleep and avoid the chances of dry mouth in the morning. Even if you roll on the bed during sleep, the airtight seal would keep the mouth closed in turn providing a better flow of air and a peaceful sleep.

Improving Tongue Position

Many people abandon CPAP therapy since dry mouth can be caused by air leaks from the oxygen mask worn in Continuous Positive Airway Therapy. Practice how to keep the tongue pressed to the surface of the mouth. Try to seal the lips prior to sleep, make a small suction inside the mouth, and push the tongue forward against the teeth and surface of the mouth. This sleep posture would hold the tongue firmly in position and would help prevent dry mouth during sleep.

Eliminating the Underlying Cause

You should understand why you are breathing through the mouth. It could be due to a blockage in the nasal cavity like congestions or even a deviated septum. If you are experiencing dry throat alongside a stuffy nose, you might need to discuss the same with the sleep specialist. The CPAP therapy may be tough for you especially if you are facing breathing difficulties due to nasal congestion.

Your doctor may suggest you to use a heated humidifier alongside the CPAP mask and recommend keeping the heat settings to a certain level in that case. Oftentimes, the tubing may become condensed but using the humidifier can potentially eliminate that by adding moisture and warmth to the air.