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. 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. Some recent studies have found that teeth grinding is more likely to occur in lighter, less deep stages 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. One 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. 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 getting a nighttime mouth guard is one step 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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