How A Nighttime Mouth Guard Can Help You Sleep

It’s fairly common knowledge that for those who grind or clench their teeth, grinding and clenching typically takes place during sleep when they’re unaware that it’s happening. The relationship between sleep and teeth grinding is a complicated one, made even more complicated by the fact that how we sleep and what happens while we sleep often feels totally out of our control. While it’s true that we don’t have ultimate control of our sleep, there are things we can do as teeth grinders to help ourselves have more restful and less disrupted sleep.

First, let’s talk about the relationship between sleep and teeth grinding. Bruxism, or the unconscious grinding or clenching of teeth, is actually classified as a sleep movement disorder. While typically the motor centers of the brain are shut off during sleep, in teeth grinding this is not the case. The muscles in the jaw activate during sleep to either grind the surfaces of the teeth against each other or hold tension in the jaw and push the teeth together. Because the muscles of the jaw are very powerful, they are able to exert a tremendous amount of force on the teeth and jaw joint, often resulting in damage to the teeth, jaw pain, and headaches.

Some recent studies have found that teeth grinding is more likely to occur in lighter, less deep stages of sleep. This is because muscle activation is more likely when the individual is in a less deep stage of sleep. Ironically, because teeth grinding also negatively affects sleep quality, this can cause teeth grinders to end up in a cycle of teeth grinding and poor sleep. In other words, they are more likely to grind while in light sleep, and their grinding is more likely to keep them in a lighter sleep stage.

You may now be wondering, what can be done to help teeth grinders break through this cycle and have better, more restful sleep? One important factor to consider is sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is a term used to describe a series of actions that someone can take in the hours before bed to help them to wind down and sleep better. Some common sleep hygiene practices include not using electronics for 1-2 hours before bed, doing a relaxing activity such as taking a bath or drinking herbal tea, and keeping any lights and music low and calming.

Another thing teeth grinders can do to improve their sleep is to wear a nighttime mouth guard. A mouth guard can help to absorb the forces of grinding and clenching, thereby making it less likely for the grinding to disrupt sleep. In addition, it can help ease jaw pain and discomfort, which also may impact teeth grinders’ sleep. It’s important to find a night guard that protects your teeth but is also comfortable to wear, because an uncomfortable or ill-fitting night guard can impact your sleep negatively as well. If you are looking for the best night guard to help with your sleep, Chomper Labs offers online custom made night guards that are the same quality as the dentist, but without leaving the comfort of home.

Sleep and teeth grinding have a complex relationship and it may seem like there isn’t much that can be done about something that happens while you sleep; but practicing good sleep hygiene and getting a nighttime mouth guard are two steps that can lead to healthier sleep for teeth grinders. You have the power to take control of your sleep and combat teeth grinding.

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