Larry
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As far as I can tell, sleeping with one's mouth open is about as common in old people as in young people. Sleeping with your mouth open is very common for individuals who are accustomed to breathing through their mouth while awake. Also, an open mouth while sleeping is more frequent in people with nasal or chest congestion or stuffy noses, since it's very difficult to breathe through your nose in those situations. The older population is often more susceptible to catching colds and viruses, so nasal congestion could be the underlying reason for your observation that old people sleep with their mouths open.
Sleeping with your mouth open will lead to a dryer mouth because saliva evaporates more quickly. This can promote sore throat and even tooth decay. Sleeping with your mouth open is often associated with snoring, but I'm not sure if the open mouth causes snoring, or if snoring is another symptom of an underlying cause like chest congestion.
As always, if you or a loved one have any reason for concern (posting this question probably counts a as a reason!), then it is critical that you talk to your doctor about this issue. Only a medical professional, in an in-person meeting, is qualified to properly evaluate your situation and decide if anything should be done about it.
 Posted 4978 day ago
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