Dry Mouth at Night

Dry mouth at night can be caused by many things such as snoring, use of tobacco, or drinking too much caffeine.  Chronic dry mouth at night can be caused by radiation therapy and chemo therapy used in fighting cancer.

Chronic dry mouth at night can cause disruptive sleep causing you to get up during the mouth, sipping water to relieve that painful feeling in your mouth.  The Xeros Dry Mouth Pump is designed to deliver the water you need in small doses throughout the night in effect resolving your dry mouth at night.  You will notice that you no longer nave morning dry mouth because the Xeros Dry Mouth Pump works all night long while you are sleeping.

Salivary Glands

Dry mouth is generally caused by the inability of salivary glands to function efficiently and produce adequate amounts of saliva, according to Healthscout.com. If you are taking medication, it may be why you are suffering from dry mouth. Medicines that cause dry mouth include muscle relaxants, decongestants, chemotherapy drugs, antispasmodics, and antihistamines. However, there are those who have perfectly functioning salivary glands and aren't taking any medicine at all but still suffer from dry mouth.

Saliva

We need adequate amounts of saliva because, according to Dentalgentlecare.com, it prevents infection by controlling fungi and bacteria in the mouth via its antimicrobial action, and it also helps us digest food. Saliva consists of antibodies; muco-proteins, which create the slimy sensation; and enzymes, but is primarily (98 percent) water. Saliva also plays an important role in the health of our teeth. It reduces the acidity or pH of the waste products that plaque produces. By doing this, it reduces our chance of tooth decay, which can occur courtesy of acid attacks that stem from these waste products. Saliva washes debris out of the mouth. It is believed that this debris, if it stays in the mouth, serves as a food supply for the bacteria found in plaque. If there is damage to dental enamel, saliva provides systemic minerals and fluorides that help replace the minerals of the marred enamel.

Physical Concerns

Dry mouth can pose a significant problem, and not only because it is uncomfortable for the sufferer and may produce bad breath. It can contribute to mouth infections and tooth decay. Dry mouth can also be a red flag for other physical problems, according to Healthscout.com. If you are diabetic and your disease is poorly controlled, this can result in dry mouth during the night, or dry mouth can be an indicator that you have diabetes. Other diseases that result in dry mouth, not only during the night but also during the day, according to Gentledentalcare.com, are bacterial and viral infections and Sjogren's syndrome, all of which have an impact on saliva flow; Bell's palsy; tumors; salivary-gland stones; depression; Parkinson's disease; and HIV/AIDS. If you are going through hemodialysis or radiation, this can cause severe dry mouth.

source: http://www.ehow.com/about_5144259_causes-nighttime-dry-mouth.html