Are you one of those who gets up in puddles of drool? drooling at night is something that tends to cause embarrassment, if you go asking on the street, few people will admit that they drool. Although it may seem unpleasant, when you wake up with your face soaked and your pillow wet with saliva you should be happy, it is good news and it means that your body is resting as it should.
Why do I drool when I sleep? It is a question that many people usually ask themselves, half annoyed half ashamed every time they wake up with a wet pillow, that is why at FastlyHealwe are going to give you the reasons that will discover why it is good news.
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Good news
During the night, or during the part of the day in which we sleep, we go through different phases of sleep, in which it is more or less deep and during which brain activity is different, with phenomena such as nightmares being more or less frequent. and dreams.
At first we go through a phase of drowsiness, this is a drowsy state, halfway between being awake and being asleep, in which our body prepares to sleep. After this phase of about 10 minutes we enter the stage of light sleep, when our heart rate and breathing decrease, brain traffic calms down and it is more difficult for us to wake up.
After light sleep, we enter the phase of deep sleep, a moment in which we normally do not dream and in which we hardly wake up. Finally, the last stage of sleep is the REM phase – rapid eye movement, for its acronym in English – at which time the brain is more active and blocks motor neurons , preventing us from moving.
Why do I drool when I sleep
We explain the phases of sleep since it is necessary to know them to understand the reason for night drooling. The explanation for drooling when we sleep is that in the REM phase muscle movement is blocked , the disconnection is total, even stopping swallowing and swallowing saliva and as saliva is not swallowed it accumulates in the mouth , leaving out due to overflow.
This is good news, since the REM phase is the deepest moment of sleep and it is the stage where it is most restorative and restorative, therefore, if you drool a lot at night it means that you have spent a lot of time in this phase and that your dream has given rest to your body and your brain.
Other physical causes
Every day our body produces about 1 liter of saliva, consequently, the muscles of the mouth must be tense and the swallowing functions must be constantly active. However, when we are asleep these functions are suspended, causing that depending on what position we are sleeping in, we drool.
However, although drooling is normal and even a sign that we have a good sleep, in some people it can be caused by certain dental and oral problems , so this drooling can occur in any phase of sleep and even while sleeping. .
Malocclusion or misalignment of the teeth, an overly large tongue or malformations in the bones of the mouth and jaw caused by bruxism can prevent the mouth from being completely closed , causing saliva to leak out of the mouth even if it is not wanted. A deviated septum that causes bad nasal breathing can also lead to uncontrolled drooling.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
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I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.