According to the National Institutes of Health, most sore throats are painful early in the morning, and gradually improve as the day wears on. Some causes of sore throats in the morning include breathing through the mouth at night, dry air irritating the mucous membranes and post-nasal drip accumulating in the throat. Other times, a viral or bacterial infection causes a sore throat. See your doctor if your sore throat gets worse, persists, or if you have a high fever or rash---these could indicate complications.
Have Something to Drink
Sometimes simply having something hot or cold to drink can soothe a dry, sore throat. When you wake up, have a cup of tea with honey, a glass of juice or a cup of water. The Mayo Clinic recommends stirring honey and lemon into a mug of hot water. The honey can coat and soothe your throat, and the lemon can remove excess mucus build-up that may be present in the throat.
Use a Humidifier
A humidifier or a cool mist vaporizer can help to alleviate a sore throat caused by inhaling dry air. Your mucous membranes will remain more moist, even if you are breathing through your mouth because of a stuffy nose, if you keep the air humidified. The Mayo Clinic offers one caveat: Clean your humidifier regularly to avoid allowing a build-up of molds and bacteria. These can cause illness, and have the potential to make your sore throat worse.
Gargle With Salt Water
The "Doctor's Book of Home Remedies" recommends gargling with salt water to soothe and moisturize a sore, dry throat. Stir a maximum of 1 tsp. of salt into a pint of warm water, and gargle with that as often you desire. If you use more salt than recommended, you will dry out your throat more, exacerbating the irritation. Another option is to use an antiseptic mouthwash.
Coat or Numb Your Throat
Sucking on cough drops or hard candy can coat your throat, reducing the irritation and dryness. Since saliva production slows while you sleep, sucking on throat lozenges has the added benefit of stimulating more saliva, which can move irritating mucus out of your throat. If your throat is more sore than dry, sucking on a popsicle or ice cubes can temporarily numb your throat, reducing the pain.
