Is it normal to have our mouths opened the whole time while we're asleep?

Question

I've been waking up having slightly dry tongue which after a few seconds after waking up & closing my mouth back will be back to normal. It isn't a problem now, but in the long run, I would like to know why is it that my mouth opens while I'm asleep?

Thank God no snoring =) & no bad breath, no difficulty breathing when I'm awake... sud I just ignore it? or can I do something about it?

is there something that I can do about it?

Answer 1

Some people just do. Generally, it's because your muscles relax. Bad news is, you probably snore :) As long as your sleep quality is good, it's nothing to worry about, but if you notice sleepiness during the day or headaches in the morning, talk to your doc about sleep apnea.

EDIT: As long as there are no additional problems, it's nothing to worry about. If you want to change the habit, concentrate on trying to fall asleep with your mouth closed. Most people will generally keep their mouth closed during the night as long as that is how they fell asleep :) If you have any problems with dryness in your nose or throat get a humidifier for your room, sometimes dryness can lead to infections and such.

Answer 2

It is normal since most people do so. However, it is not healthy as it means you do most of your breathing through your mouth not through your nostrils.

Why? you probably have or had at a certain point of time breathing problems. This could have been the begining of the habit. You need to find out if you currently have breathing problems or not. If you do, then this is probably a temprorary condition that will go away when you fix the problem. If not then it is a habit and breaking it might be hard since you can not control your actions while asleep.

Answer 3

A lot of people have allergies and nasal congestion - so they are mouth breathers. It seems to make morning breath a whole new experience. Yuck! If you have this problem you can use the breatheasy (or whatever the brand is ) nasal strips. They do help. You can also get tested and treated for allergies. However, allergy medications may help the nasal congestion, but they dry out the mouth and morning breath is still yucky.