Dry mouth and cracked lips at night can be very painful and uncomfortable. And since there is an absence of saliva, your mouth will be susceptible to various oral and dental problems. To name a few, there’s tooth decay and halitosis. There’s also the embarrassment of waking up with a horrible breath next to your partner. However, you can kiss dry mouth goodbye by increasing saliva production during night time before you sleep. So how do you that? Any food that requires sucking and mastication can induce saliva production. Here are some foolproof tips on increasing saliva flow at night.
You can start by putting on lip balm on chapped lips. Dry mouth can also cause cracked lips which can be very painful. You can opt for a mint flavored lip balm for a calm and soothing effect. Next, grab a glass of ice chips and suck and chew on one every 15 minutes. This not only soothes and hydrates your mouth but also encourages salivation. You can do this an hour or two before retiring to bed. Once you are ready to go to bed, take a sip of the melted ice water and chew on another ice chip.
You can also opt for sucking the pit of the fruits like mangoes, plums or peaches. This will also stimulate salivation. You can do this 30 minutes before retiring to bed. Another alternative to this is chewing on a sugar-free sorbitol gum. One minute before bedtime, take a stick of gum and chew on it for the next 60 seconds. This will increase saliva flow. Once you’re done, place the gum on a plate on your bedside. If you find yourself waking up at night due to dry mouth, chew on the piece of gum again for another 60 seconds.
Another way to alleviate dry mouth at night is avoiding tobacco, alcohol and caffeine before bed time. These will aggravate your oral situation, making it more difficult for you to sleep due to the discomfort of a dry mouth. Use an alcohol-free mouthwash after brushing to cleanse your mouth without stripping away much needed moisture. You can also gargle with green tea steeped for 60 minutes. Green tea has properties that not only kill bacteria but also keep your mouth moisturized. Before you sleep, power on the air humidifier and try sleeping with your mouth open to prevent dry mouth.