Desperate. Normally a good sleeper but in urgent need of help. Please

Welcome to Sleep Foundation Community!
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Lying awake for the 9th night in a row is extremely distressing. I normally sleep well (since menopause that’s not entirely true but earlier in life I thought of sleep as one of my superpowers. I know how distressing it is not to sleep and I hate to think I am asking advice from an entire community of people who have experience of extreme poor sleep for many years. But I am desperate as I just read an article, presumably by the founders here which impressed me so much with its lack of easy solutions

I was googling to find a way to keep my mouth shut while sleeping because the onset of a very nasty cough 9 days ago has meant I’ve slept very little any night since. The cough is being treated. I don’t need advice on that.

Do any of you have experience of needing to keep your mouth shut over night and what has helped. The article I read suggested mouth taping is not scientifically proven to help. It also said a little about nasal strips and a little about mouthstrapping (it didn’t use that term but I can’t remaster the term it used). It meant a way of having something lodged under your chin (and presumably stacked over your head) to keep your mouth shut gently.

I don’t have underlying health issues that keep me from sleeping. I would like to buy or make at home a strap that could have that effect.

Many thanks for absolutely any help anyone can offer.

Clare

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Dear Clare, I definitely understand how distressing a lack of sleep is. I am sorry that you are experiencing this. I hope all is going well with recovering from your cough. I am not sure exactly of why you’re needing your mouth shut - is it to stop you coughing? I wanted to understand more about this as it sounds like it is a new problem possibly related to that. The health professional in me says that the cough is there for a reason usually due to stimulation by irritants of some sort and best to address the cause of the cough like you have said is being treated. You sound like you are on the right track.

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Hello Clare, it is interesting to read about the strap to keep mouth closed. I use a sleep machine for Sleep Apnea, and I often wake up with dry mouth and sore throat. The vendor said it is likely because I sleep with my mouth open. They recommended to buy a mouth strap…I haven’t bought it. I am still unsure if it helps.. Hopefully somebody else had experience in this.

Thanks