Waking Up with a Wet Pillow? The Surprising Reason You Drool in Your Sleep—and How to Stop It

Waking up to a damp pillow is something many people have experienced at least once in their lives. While it can feel slightly embarrassing, drooling during sleep is actually very common and, in most cases, completely harmless.

Medical professionals refer to excessive drooling as sialorrhea or hypersalivation, although many people who drool at night do not actually produce too much saliva. Instead, the saliva simply escapes from the mouth because of body position, relaxed muscles, or other underlying factors.