Save Time and Submit Your InsuranceWaking up with a dry mouth or dry throat can be very bothersome. Your first instinct might be to drink a glass of water or discontinue your CPAP therapy. The best solution may be, in fact, to increase the heat setting on your humidifier.
Some people may not even realize they have a heated humidifier, or they are afraid to increase the heat setting above 2. If you use a CPAP machine and dry mouth is bothering you, try increasing the heat and make sure you have a good seal. Other things to consider are switching to a full face mask and using a chin strap to keep your mouth shut at night.
A CPAP machine with a heated humidifier has a separate adjustment for the heat level. The higher the heat setting, the hotter the heat plate will be. This heat up the air and adds moisture content. Hotter air will help to prevent dry mouth.
Before long, dry mouth will cause you to wake up in desperate need of some H20. Be careful how much water you drink, though, because you’ll be waking up again and rushing to the restroom. The goal of your sleep therapy is to give you the maximum amount of uninterrupted sleep time as possible.
There are several other reasons why you may be experience dry mouth with your CPAP therapy. Breathing with your mouth open is the primary cause, which can happen if you are congested and unable to breathe out of your nose, or if you just tend to be a “mouth breather.” Sleeping with your mouth open allows more air to enter your mouth, which can dry it out. If you are using a CPAP nasal mask, a poor seal can cause dry mouth and have a negative impact on your therapy overall.
Americare Respiratory Services has several CPAP machines with heated humidifiers. Use keyword “heated humidifier” in the search bar above to find one you like! The ResMed S9 VPAP machine is an excellent choice for many people.
If you’d rather talk to a real person, pick up the phone and call us at (866) 344-2774. One of our friendly sleep specialists will be glad to assist you.
