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Avatar universal

spitting during sleep?

Over the past few years, I noticed I started to literally spit in my sleep. I usually always drool, but this is not drooling. I literally will hawk back and spit in my sleep, sometimes more than once, and it isn't until afterwards that I know I did but by then I am half asleep and don't think or do anything of it instead I roll back over and go to bed. I never thought about it too much but I decided to ask because I googled it and couldn't find anything on the matter, aside from infants and children spitting up.

Does anyone else do this? Is it something I should be worried about?
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Avatar universal
It happens to me sometimes,and not all the time thank God.as I am  posting this now I juxt woke up only to have a load of mucus on my pillow,in my mouth and I could feel some in my throat.sorry if this ewwws you up.i was having a dream and it was happening in the dream too I felt myself choking and not being able to breath.which is kinda wired.is there any medication for this.im only 21 and iv been really stressed out working overnights and schooling at the same time.i dont want this happening in the future when I have my husband right next to me.
Helpful - 1
1 Comments
Please the same problem you have is the same problem I have. Can you please let's me know if there is any medications for that please. Thanks
Avatar universal
I think this has more to do with the fact that, while our jaw is supposed to become paralyzed, many people's don't. It can cause people to spit, their mouths to be wide open, and/or bit their tongue, cheek, whatever.  It's part of a sleep disorder, and if you find yourself fatigued quite often, it might be worth spending the night at a sleep lab, so you can find out if more is going on, such as sleep apnea.
  I came here for the same reason as the rest of you: Yep, I'm doing it, too.  I have sleep apnea, plus I'm a tooth grinder, a mouth breather, and a tongue biter!
Helpful - 1
1 Comments
I also have sleep apnea. I wonder if this is a part of it? Hmm…
Avatar universal
Crazy, I just woke up spitting all over myself again. I have these dreams every now and again. I don't understand how I end up spiting so much on myself. It's a different kind of dream every time and sometimes it has nothing to do with spitting I just wake up spitting all a sudden. Is this a sign of something?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am a sleep talker and face the same problem. Funny how it's been more than a decade but no one has found a solution yet. I was brushing my teeth when it happened this time and it triggered me to wake up. Not a smoker. Interestingly had eaten custard the night before. I don't eat sweet food much.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I know this is a very old thread but I wanted to comment as this has recently started happening to me. I am a 35 year old male and have no major medical issues or taking prescription medications. I do have GERD, dry mouth, and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)  I am also a chronic tooth grinder, cheek bitter, and occasionally will have dreams of my teeth falling out.

Anyways, I have had 3 occurrences in the last month or so of me spitting a lot in my sleep. It isnt so much as how you would spit in normal life, but more so something is happening to my mouth in a dream and as a result im literally oozing out saliva onto my cheek and pillow. I only realize it because it will sometimes wake me up and im like "wtf where did this spit come from" and then ill start to remember the dream I was having that triggered it.

The most recent dream I had where I was spitting a lot, I was dreaming that I had a piercing on my uvula (the thing in the back of your throat)  and the piercing was starting to bother me and I was terrified I wouldn't be able to breathe. I told my wife who was suddenly present in my dream that I had this thing pierced and she was like "we gotta take it out" and we started sticking things back there to try to take it out. It started to come loose but I started choking, and I believe that during this time is when I started spitting in my sleep.

The spitting always seems to be triggered due to having something in my mouth and not me being disgusted with someone or something as some dream interpretation websites say is the cause.


I just wanted to share my experience as they seem to be occurring more and more. I may need to get a nightguard, both for my teeth grinding and this spitting thing to see if that helps at all.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I have the same thing. Sometimes I remember why I spit and sometimes I don't. There was one time where I thought something was stuck in my throat. I woke up and I could actually still feel it. I started having a panic attack and I ran over to my parents' room. They told me I was dreaming and then the feeling left right away.

I usually end up spitting in my hand or on my bed (i know, yikes). It can happen one time, sometimes it happens three times in a row. This is usually happens almost every night.

I sort of feel glad I found this page, because whenever I tell someone they are so weirded out by it. Which I do get, cause who the f spits in their hand at night?! I guess we do. Anyways, solidarty for the night spitters!

If anyone knows anything that could fix this, let me know for the love of god.
Avatar universal
I've done this last night. I was half asleep when I spat, I woke up almost instantly with the whole mindset of "did I really just do that!?"...
I've also been struggling with grinding my teeth slightly while I sleep and I thought that there is something VERY wrong with me. Hoping this whole spit thing doesn't become a habit. Would it be wise to get my sleep monitored professionally?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello I am from Argentina.
This is my report about it: I am 31 years old, male.
Spit in half sleep happens to me some nights but only 1 or 2 spitts. Most of the time, I can't remember the spitting episodes but I can notice them because the next morning I see the rests of dry saliva in the floor. I always spit in the floor, next to my bed fortunely.
I barely remember that this happens when I dream about I am eating something with bad taste. this taste match with the real bad taste of my mouth, due bad breath caused of intestinal reflux in some cases. Also happens when I am dreaming about swallow a thing that can choking me. I consider this a sleep disorder, but it don't bother me much. I don't have girlfriend so, this don't affect me.

¯\_(⊙︿⊙)_/¯
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
So, I know this is about 7 years late, but know that you are not alone. I myself have woken up numerous times spitting. Not only that, but finger combing my hair as well. I've woken up to a soaked pillow and cheek because I spat so much. Not a loogie, but just as if you were to spit out something you didn't like. My dreams are usually the same, I'm spitting out something for one reason or another and wake up as the spit is leaving my mouth. Or, I'll dream that I'm brushing or finger combing my hair and wake up to a bunch of hair in my fingers as I've literally been combing out knots for about an hour. Or there's a bunch of hair on my pillow or off the side of my bed. The spitting one is by far the worst. I don't like either one of them, especially waking up right in the middle of the act to the horror that I've obviously been doing this for a while before I've become conscious and that I had no control over my body's actions. I have never spoken to anyone about it because it's most definitely not normal. But, I too, have wondered, "What the ****?".
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I bet none of the posters can prove  it wasn't a cough that woke them up. There is nothing unusual about doing that in your sleep, so it was a waste of time for everyone here to be worried about this non-issue.
Avatar universal
I just did the same thing yesterday. I woke and spit over the side of my bed and I was angry. The funny thing is I remember what I was dreaming. I was dreaming that I was brushing my teeth over and over and that’s why I was spitting. Don’t know why I was angry though. Weird. First time ever doing this too. I remember I used to pretend I was holding a phone and talking in my sleep but I was basically just talking to my hand. That lasted for months. I hope the spitting problem doesn’t persist.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i do have the same dream, i think its some thing spiritual becos the period i do have these dreams is always wen am drifting in my spirit and am trying to find a way back to track, i sense it as deliverance from something, most tyms i wud be actually brushing my tongue and it wud be so dirty and slimmy and so thick it can hardly come out, so to me its either spiritual n or deliverance from something you ate in the dream, and usually after these dream i try to find my way back to God.. i had the dream yesterday night i was vomiting saliva so thick it could hardly come out on its own, i was spitiing everywhere and woke up spitting all over my dress and bed. everytime you have thee dreams always try to observe the events that happen to you prior to the time and after this time
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Avatar universal
I do it all the time. My boyfriend always gets mad at me because i do it a lot of the time while cuddling. I have no clue why but i wish i knew how to stop. I didnt realize so many people had the same problem. It happens when im falling asleep, almost as im about to actually fall asleep. It happens when im really relaxed so its not stressed related with me. My jaw also twitches a lot before i fall asleep. I would really like some answers like all of you.
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Avatar universal
I just had one last night. In my sleep i spit down then i opened my eyes and i was looking down my pilow and it was wet... Really weird.
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Avatar universal
I just had one last night. In my sleep i spit down then i opened my eyes and i was looking down my pillow and it was wet... Really weird.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
OMG NO WAY! I'm a sleep spitter as well! We should form a club, guys. Whataya say?! So I was sleeping one night. A nice steady sleep. And then WA BAM! I spit on myself for no reason. I always go back to sleep right after cause home girl needs her beauty rest. I don't remember anything that happened in my sleep before or after this traumatic event. I don't know the cure, I just wanted to share my story to help others like us open up about their stories. We too are humans. It's okay to be a sleep spitter!
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I have recently become a sleep spitter and your post just cracked me up!
Avatar universal
I have also been doing this for a couple of years now and when my wife wakes me up to tell me what im doing , I find that im very angry , I also believe it could be stress related
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I just now woke up from a dream in which I was vomiting and I guess my body told me to spit it out and well when i woke up right after I had just spit out the fake vomit in my dream. I am confused too because it has happend before... follow me on Instagram btw ;) @mnmelx
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Same thing is happening to me :( i was kinda angry that i spit so i started shouting "I need tissue!!!" And eventually my little brother brought a pack.. I cleaned it then i put my pillow on top of it and started sleeping again .... After sometime i woke up and asked my self "Did i just spit"
Its a relief to see many people to through this...
I unfortunately spit when I am hanging out the friends it's partly because they do it.. I think this thing is viral
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Ive been a habitual mj smoker from the age of 14 I'm 29 now. I recently quit for my new job for liability reasons and this week is the first time i have ever spit in my sleep and its happened twice this week, one where i didn't like the taste of something, another where i was brushing my teeth. On top of that, I'm having some pretty vivid dreams, some friendly but mostly gruesome. I've never had so much activity in my sleep.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am also facing the same problem from many years like 5times a year... My observations are
Increased sugar intake the previous day, which causes the oral cavity to feel discomfort and do it...
Try brushing teeth before sleep and reply your observations here... Thanks...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, I have the same problem, I noticed that I only spitt in my sleep when I smoke weed just before going to bed. Just last night I was high as a plane and I spitted like 4 times on the flor and I have no memmory of doing this. maby I should quit smoking ganja!
sorry for my bad English..  
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Avatar universal
i suffer from this issue as wel but i have a feeling it is stress related. any of you guys in stressful jobs?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have had this issue for more than 6 years in different ways. But always trying to spit out an object, almost every night!!! I believe the theory, that is very scary, that is something spiritual, I really believe I am very sensitive to emotions and energy. I have done sleep study, gone to several psychologist and depending on their beliefs is what they tell you you might have. We have to strengthen your spirit in a way that you are not scare and you don't let anything interfere with your peace. I try to pray, truly pray, with all my heart for protection, always with a lot of faith in Jesus. When I do that I sleep like a baby, I am not saying just to repeat a prayer I am saying to commit spiritually to the only good in this Universe, God. You cannot be living a life that takes you away from God. When I start making mistakes, forgeting to pray, being afraid again I starts with these nightmares right the way. Hold the hand of God, Jesus is the only way. Have you ever wonder why exorcist or haunted houses need to have a blessing or a deliverance prayer under Jesus's name to bring peace again, to fight evil. Same thing here.
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Avatar universal
This just started happening to me. I've been a side sleeper my whole life and have never snored..ever. Just recently..last few months, I've been waking up at the end of spitting. It literally just happened just before I googled this. I was dreaming of putting together a lawn sprayer and this..um crap(have no clue what it was) was pouring out of my mouth in my dream. I woke up to my lips vibrating in the motion of a girl spit (which I never do while wake..always been a hocker). Strange, but I've been unable to sleep for about 3-4 years without medication or being extremely exhausted. I lol'd at a few of the comments which made me feel better about it..as I, also thought I was alone. Ty all for your stories and experiences, because to be honest..it scared the crap outta me :O to add..this morning I find out from other family members I was also snoring last night during the 4 hours I was able to sleep. I have been through abuse, and have sleep problems so there are two "symptoms" to research. Thanks everyone for making me feel better about it.. But, I do hope to figure out the cause..because it is a bit disturbing. Lol
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Last night I had fallen asleep and about an hour later I was beginning to dream and in my dream I was spitting on the ground which is something I never do in waking life.  I wasn't just spitting on the ground though- I filled my mouth with the biggest gob of saliva I could and then started spitting it out like a string through my teeth and lips and it was a lot of spit!  The only thing was that I was on my back and the feeling of my globby spit running down the right side of my cheek and onto my neck toward my ear and hair woke me right up quick.  I couldn't believe that I just spat on myself. What the heck?
Helpful - 0
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