Sometimes when we wake up we notice dryness in the mouth, as if the saliva was thicker than normal; normally this sensation is accompanied by hoarseness in the throat.
The feeling of dry mouth upon waking up is often caused by sleeping with your mouth open , and it is an indicative sign that you are probably not breathing correctly during sleep. It is common to have a dry mouth from time to time, but if this situation repeats itself frequently after the alarm goes off, it is possible that instead of through your nose you are breathing only through your mouth throughout the night.
Bad breathing can have a negative impact on your health, it prevents the natural absorption of oxygen from the blood to the brain and muscles, which causes a whole series of problems and conditions, also breathing through the mouth during sleep affects to oral health, since it reduces the amount of saliva that helps, among other important functions, to fight cavities.
If we have to respond briefly to The frequently asked question of whether it is bad to sleep with your mouth open The answer is no, you should not sleep with your mouth open. In this article we will expand and argue this negative verdict by exploring the causes of sleeping with our mouth open and how it affects both oral health and the rest of our body.
How sleeping with your mouth open affects breathing
Sleeping with your mouth open is considered problematic by health professionals, since has a negative impact on oral and general health This is because sleeping with your mouth open usually means that instead of using nasal breathing, we use mouth breathing throughout the night.
Through nasal breathing, the body is provided with the oxygen necessary for its survival and to maintain all its functions. Additionally, thanks to correct breathing, some waste is released from the body and carbon dioxide is expelled.
Nitric oxide, also called nitrogen monoxide, is a gas produced by the cells that line the inside of the airways of the nose, sinuses, and bronchi. When we breathe correctly, that is, through the nose, we produce more of this gas when we breathe through the mouth we do not produce this gas.
Nitric oxide fulfills two fundamental functions in respiration. Firstly, this gas has a dilating effect on the airways, this means that it opens them and thus reduces the resistance that the blood vessels of the lungs offer to the passage of blood through them, it also improves the ability to breathe. gas exchange. The main consequence is that the blood carries more oxygen when breathing through the nose thanks to nitric oxide and it is also easier to transport it throughout the rest of the body.
One study showed that nasal breathing increases the amount of oxygen consumption by 10 to 20 percent compared to mouth breathing.
Nasal breathing also has other important functions in the body: it relaxes vascular smooth muscle cells and allows blood vessels to dilate, which is an important process for the proper functioning of the immune system. They can also be added as functions of breathing through the nose that help the immune system: filtering small particles in the air thanks to the hairs known medically as vibrissae, humidifying the air and heating it so that it reaches the lungs with the correct temperature and avoid dryness.
When we breathe through the mouth, all these functions stop being carried out, therefore, it is considered poor breathing: nitric oxide is not formed and less oxygen reaches our systems. Furthermore, the air is neither humidified, nor heated, nor filtered, which arrives with a greater quantity of pathogens and with conditions that can cause infections. In reality, mouth breathing acts as a kind of life insurance, i.e. It is activated when it is impossible to breathe through the nose but it is not a function that corresponds to this system.
This survival mechanism is not without risks. If prolonged over time, the adverse effects of mouth breathing can cause everything from minor damage to the teeth, usually cavities, to diseases that affect the cardiovascular system.
Sleeping with your mouth open and the consequences on oral health
A recent study indicated that sleeping with your mouth open May be even worse for dental health than regular consumption of sugary drinks , something that many dentists are unaware of. Below we describe the most common conditions that affect our oral health when we breathe through the mouth.
1. Cavities
As we know, Saliva is essential for the health of the mouth and teeth On the one hand, it has a substance known as lysozyme that helps fight bacteria and on the other hand, it contains minerals that help us have healthier teeth, among other functions.
When the amount of saliva in the mouth decreases, the pH of dental plaque decreases, increasing the amount of harmful bacteria. This greatly increases the risk of cavities and, in the worst case, can lead to tooth loss.
2. Dryness
By breathing through the mouth and entering the air flow, Saliva that is moist dries out, which is why we have that pasty feeling when we sleep with our mouth open , fluid is also lost due to evaporation, causing dry mouth and lips. This can have serious consequences, such as difficulty swallowing and decreased salivary protection, as well as being very uncomfortable.
3. Bad breath
Bad breath is known as halitosis and is characterized by changes in the breath that are unpleasant for the affected individual and those around him. Breathing through the mouth is associated with halitosis, since as we have mentioned in the previous points, the reduction in the amount of saliva affects the mouth’s ability to clean itself which leads to an increase in bacterial flora and causes bad breath.
4. Deformation of the dental arches
Dental arches refer to groups of teeth, which as we can see form an arch. In development, the head, skull and jaw adapt to our breathing patterns. If instead of through the nose we breathe through the mouth, the dental arches will be affected and this causes a domino effect on the lips, tongue and palate. Normally, people who breathe through their mouths have a shorter face, crowded teeth, narrow nostrils, smaller jaw and/or stiff lips
5. Impaired swallowing
Swallowing refers to the passage of food or other substances from the mouth to the stomach. In the case of mouth breathing, this can alter abnormal swallowing. When your mouth is dry, you may push your tongue forward to swallow instead of closing your mouth Additionally, when you breathe through your mouth, you swallow a lot more air, which can affect stomach reflux.
Its effects on general health
As we have already explained, mouth breathing does not allow as much oxygen to reach the lungs, and, therefore, to the rest of the systems. This behavior also disrupts sleep , which as we know from experience, plays an essential role in our physical, but also mental well-being. These two conditions resulting from sleeping with your mouth open can increase your risk of a wide variety of general health problems as you age, including:
Obstructive sleep apnea (a sleep disorder in which the airways become partially or completely blocked, stopping breathing)
Breathing through the mouth instead of the nose is often a consequence, suffer from some type of allergy that involves congestion (such as hay fever) swollen tonsils, partially blocked sinuses or nose, congestion from infection, or sleep apnea.
People diagnosed with chronic nasal congestion often exhale through their mouth, and especially while sleeping, since they are not aware of this behavior. The main cause of mouth breathing is poor respiratory health: the soft tissues of the mouth and throat collapse during sleep, restricting airflow.
One of the most common causes of sleeping with the mouth open to breathe is allergies, frequently children who have this respiratory problem, this It is caused by hay fever, also called allergic rhinitis
The septum is the thin tissue wall that separates the nostrils; when this wall is off-center, one or both nostrils can become blocked, making breathing difficult and leading to mouth breathing. Many other conditions can cause chronic nasal congestion and mouth breathing. Some of these conditions include swollen nasal tissue or tumors inside the nose.
Finally, sleep apnea can also cause mouth breathing instead of nasal breathing People with this condition stop breathing many times during the night, and when their oxygen levels drop, they may swallow air. These frequent episodes of apnea can promote the habit of mouth breathing.
How to stop sleeping with your mouth open?
To solve the problem of sleeping with your mouth open, respiratory tract conditions must be addressed and resolved. If the airways constrict or collapse during sleep, the patient will continue to breathe through the mouth. The Ultimate Solution to Mouth Breathing is to Restore Airway Health , either curing an infection, or remodeling them to facilitate nasal breathing. Treatments are diverse and may include:
Oral appliances
Treatment of the tongue (tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth)
Orthodontics
Oral tape to address jaw relaxation that occurs during sleep
