Why do I wake up with a dry mouth?
It’s rarely serious. A blocked nose or sleeping with your mouth open are main causes. But if it comes with other signs, like needing to pee a lot or dry eyes, see a GP.
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Why do I wake up with a dry mouth?
The NHS says a dry mouth is rarely a sign of anything serious. There are things you can do to ease it yourself.
One of the main causes is breathing through your mouth at night. That can happen if your nose is blocked or you sleep with your mouth open.
Not drinking enough can do it too. So can some medicines, and so can anxiety.
| Cause | Clue | First thing to try |
|---|---|---|
| Breathing through your mouth at night | A blocked nose, or you wake with your mouth open | Keep water by your bed and treat the blocked nose. |
| Not drinking enough | Thirsty, with dark yellow pee | Take regular sips of water through the day. |
| A medicine | Dry mouth is listed on its leaflet | Ask your GP or pharmacist. Don’t stop it yourself. |
| Anxiety | You’ve been feeling anxious | Try the home steps further down this page. |
| Mouth thrush | A red mouth with white patches | Ask a pharmacist about a mouth gel. |
Sources: NHS: dry mouth; NHS: dehydration; NHS: oral thrush
Find the clue that fits you, then start with the step beside it tonight.
Why do I sleep with my mouth open?
Your mouth may fall open when you’re asleep, or the airways in your nose may be blocked or narrow.
| Problem | What may help |
|---|---|
| Your mouth falls open when you’re asleep | A chin strap to hold your mouth closed, or a device you wear in your mouth to make you breathe through your nose (a vestibular shield). |
| Your nose is blocked or narrow | Strips or small devices that hold your nose open (nasal dilators), or decongestants or nasal sprays to cut swelling. |
Source: NHS: snoring
Talk to a doctor about which one suits you.
Using a decongestant spray or drops? Don’t use them for more than 5 days, as this can make your blocked nose worse. Decongestant tablets with pseudoephedrine (such as Sudafed) can cause a dry mouth themselves.
Don’t use decongestants if you’re pregnant. Ask a GP or pharmacist first if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, glaucoma or thyroid problems. The same goes if you have an enlarged prostate, are breastfeeding or take other medicines.
A 2025 review of mouth tape studies says more research is needed. Two found better sleep apnoea scores (sleep apnoea is when your breathing stops and starts as you sleep).
Some warned of a risk of not getting enough air if your nose is blocked. Think of your mouth as a back door: with the front door (your nose) blocked, tape shuts the only way air is getting in.
So treat a blocked nose rather than taping your mouth shut. If you snore too, the NHS suggests sleeping on your side. See the best sleeping position.
Why is my throat dry when I wake up?
If your throat feels sore, the NHS sore throat advice applies. Sore throats usually get better by themselves within a week.
If you wake with a dry, sore throat
- 1
Help yourself
Drink plenty of water, suck ice cubes and avoid smoky places.
- 2
Ask a pharmacist
Painkillers or medicated lozenges can ease it.
- 3
See a GP
If it’s no better after a week, you often get one, or you have a lump in your mouth or neck or a mouth ulcer that lasts more than 3 weeks.
Source: NHS: sore throat
Have a sore throat with a very high temperature, or feel hot, cold or shivery? Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111.
Do the same if you have signs of dehydration, such as peeing less than usual or dark, strong-smelling pee. The same goes for a weakened immune system, or if you’re worried about your symptoms.
Call 999 if you can’t swallow or struggle to breathe. The same goes if you’re drooling, make a high-pitched sound as you breathe, or have severe symptoms getting worse quickly.
Snore loudly as well? Ask someone to watch you sleep. If your breathing stops and starts, or you make gasping, snorting or choking noises, that can be sleep apnoea.
Sleep apnoea is when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep. The NHS says it can be serious if it’s not diagnosed and treated, so see a GP. More in sleep apnoea and blood tests and still tired after sleep.
How can I stop waking up with a dry mouth?
Six NHS steps for a dry mouth
- Keep some water by your bed at night, and take regular sips during the day.
- Suck ice cubes or ice lollies, or sip cold unsweetened drinks.
- Chew sugar-free gum or suck sugar-free sweets.
- Brush your teeth twice a day and use an alcohol-free mouthwash.
- Don’t drink lots of alcohol, caffeine (such as tea and coffee) or fizzy drinks.
- Don’t smoke, and don’t sleep with dentures in.
Source: NHS: dry mouth
Why the teeth? With a dry mouth you’re more likely to get tooth decay. Use lip balm if your lips are dry too.
Still dry? A pharmacist can suggest gels, sprays, tablets or lozenges that keep your mouth moist. Not all suit everyone, so ask which fits you.
If you have your own teeth, avoid acidic artificial saliva products.
A drink or a late coffee also affects how you sleep. See alcohol and sleep and when to stop caffeine.
Could a dry mouth be a sign of diabetes?
Sometimes. The NHS says a dry mouth that doesn’t go away may be caused by a condition like diabetes or Sjögren’s syndrome.
The NHS says to see a GP if your dry mouth comes with other symptoms, like needing to pee a lot or dry eyes.
| Other signs | What a GP may check for | Test or next step |
|---|---|---|
| Peeing more than usual, thirsty all the time, very tired, losing weight without trying | Type 2 diabetes | A blood test for your blood sugar. |
| Dry eyes, aching muscles and joints, extreme tiredness | Sjögren’s syndrome, where the glands that make tears and spit stop working properly | Blood tests, eye tests and a 5-minute spit test. |
| A red mouth with white patches | Mouth thrush, a fungal infection | A pharmacy mouth gel. See a GP if it’s no better after 1 week. |
Sources: NHS: type 2 diabetes; NHS: Sjögren’s syndrome; NHS: oral thrush
Not everyone with type 2 diabetes gets symptoms, and they may come on slowly. See the diabetes blood test for what the result means.
Think a prescribed medicine is the cause? Tell your GP. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
When to speak to a GP
See a GP if you have a dry mouth and:
- it makes talking or eating hard, or you’re struggling to eat regularly
- it’s still dry after a few weeks of home or pharmacy treatments
- your mouth is painful, red, swollen or bleeding, or has sore white patches
- your sense of taste has changed and isn’t going away, or you think a prescribed medicine is the cause
- you have other symptoms, like needing to pee a lot or dry eyes, or someone has seen your breathing stop and start as you sleep
Feeling unusually tired, dizzy when you stand that doesn’t go away, or have dark yellow pee or are peeing less than normal? Fast breathing or a fast heartbeat counts too. These can be signs of serious dehydration, so ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111.
Call 999 if someone with signs of dehydration has blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue, or cold skin. The same applies if they struggle to breathe or take lots of quick breaths, are confused, or are sleepier than normal or hard to wake.