Every winter I woke up with a throat that felt like I had been swallowing gravel in my sleep. I assumed I was catching whatever cold was going around, and then the soreness would fade by noon and come back the next morning. It took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize I was not sick. I was sleeping in air drier than a saltine.

The dry air problem

Cold winter air holds very little moisture, and heating your house dries it out further. Dry air irritates your throat and nasal passages all night, leaving you with that raw morning feeling. It also dries out your mouth, which is why some people wake up parched and snoring worse than usual. If your throat hurts only in the morning and improves through the day, dryness is the prime suspect.

Fix the air, not just the symptom

• A humidifier in the bedroom is the most direct fix. I run a small one on my nightstand through the night and aim for the 40 to 50 percent range. Too much humidity breeds mold, so do not go crazy.
• Keep water on the nightstand and take a sip when you wake up dry in the night.
• Skip the late alcohol and heavy caffeine. Both dehydrate you and make the morning throat worse. I stopped my evening beer in winter and noticed within a week.

The cheaper trick if you hate humidifiers

If you do not want to buy a humidifier, try a bowl of water on top of a heat register or radiator in the bedroom. The heat evaporates the water and adds moisture to the air as it rises. It is not as consistent as a humidifier, but it helped me through plenty of nights before I bought one. Opening the bathroom door after a hot shower also dumps steam into the hallway.

When it is not just dryness

A morning sore throat can also come from mouth breathing, allergies, or acid reflux that gets worse lying down. If a humidifier and water do not fix it in a couple of weeks, or if you have heartburn at night, mention it to your doctor. For me, the humidifier turned winter mornings from gravel throat into normal throat, and I actually forgot what the problem felt like until I traveled somewhere dry and it came back for a visit.