Grinding your teeth is a dangerous habit that can come and go throughout your life. Without knowing how to prevent it or how to protect yourself from it, you may suffer from cracked teeth, damaged nerves, sore muscles, or even have the shape of your face change as the bones wear down. How to stop grinding teeth in sleep naturally can be achieved with a few tips and we’ll be discussing them and how to protect yourself in this article.
Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol
Caffeine is great when you need a “pick me up” and you’re running low on energy but it should be avoided before bed. It’s found in soda, coffee, tea, and energy drinks. Caffeine is a drug that increases the activity of your brain and nervous system through stimulation. When you increase the activity in your nervous system and brain, they become more active which is something you don’t want when trying to peacefully go to sleep.
Alcohol is a natural fermentation of sugars and can intoxicate you when it’s drunk in the form of wine, beer, and liquor. When alcohol is consumed in large quantities it changes the way the brain functions making it harder to control your balance, speech, judgment, and memory. Alcohol also disrupts your sleep cycle and makes it difficult to fall into a deep sleep. You may find yourself waking up through the night because you are constantly in the light sleep cycles with your brain activity.
When you consume alcohol or caffeine, your nervous system is stimulated. This extra stimulation can lead to your brain having difficulties relaxing as you sleep. As a result, you may find yourself grinding your teeth more often or clenching your jaw. Stop drinking alcohol or caffeine at least five hours before bed. It’s a great way in how to stop grinding teeth in sleep naturally as you are just removing substances from your routine.
Practice Meditation and Yoga
Teeth grinding and clenching have been correlated to mental health. The more stressed out you are, the more likely you will start to grind your teeth at night. It makes sense as your mind unpacks your emotions while you sleep. Your brain will subconsciously sort through your thoughts and issues while you sleep and if you’ve had bad anxiety throughout the day, your mind will be affected too. This is why clearing your mind naturally through yoga and meditation will help keep your mind at peace before you sleep. Try some breathing exercises, or listen to peaceful nature sounds or Lofi music to put your mind in a good place. How to stop grinding teeth in sleep naturally starts with clearing your mind and you can do so by practicing meditation.
Jaw Exercises
If you have tension built up in your muscles it will likely stay that way until it is released in an unhealthy manner with teeth grinding. There are ways on how to stop grinding teeth in sleep naturally by exercising your jaw before bed. Position your fingers on your jaw bones and gently massage in a circular motion your jaw joints and cheeks. Keep this motion going for five minutes and make your way up and down your cheekbones. If there’s any tension or sore muscles make sure to give extra care to them as they are indicators of tension. For an extra boost, try using lavender oil on the tips of your fingers and massage your jaw joints. Lavender is an aroma that is known to produce calming effects. With the smell of lavender on your cheeks and your muscles loosened up from the massage, you’re less likely to grind or clench your teeth while you sleep.
Use A Hot Towel or Heating Pad
Heat has been known to relax muscles. Ever gotten a haircut that comes with a hot towel? It feels amazing and relaxes your face while your hair is being washed. This is a great way to try and get your facial muscles to relax before bed. Heat up a damp towel and wrap it tightly around your jaw muscles and neck or place it firmly on your face. This should improve the circulation in your face and increase the blood flow to these muscles giving them a chance to relax and ease the tension that has been built up in them.
Have a Magnesium-Rich Snack
As you’re winding down for bed there are some foods you should avoid. Anything with high doses of sugar will keep you up later than you should be but if you want a snack that will help relax you with the ability to ease inflammation you should try snacking on yogurt, brown rice, and green vegetables like celery and broccoli. These magnesium-rich snacks will help with any inflammation you may be dealing with in your face and may potentially help with teeth grinding.
How to Stop Grinding Teeth
Those were some tips on how to stop grinding teeth in sleep naturally but they are no surefire thing even if you do all five of our recommendations. Each body and mind is different and will react differently to natural treatments. There is one way that will stop the damage done from teeth grinding or clenching that requires very little effort.
Wearing a custom night guard will give you maximum protection against the dangers of teeth grinding. Even if you are stressed out or have anxiety, this guard will protect your teeth and jaw from damage. You might try a night guard from Amazon or your local drugstore but those aren’t custom and will deteriorate within a few months due to the poor material.
A custom night guard is designed to fit just your smile and protect your teeth from the most intense grinding or clenching. Your dentist can craft you one but that can be an expensive bill and you might need X-Rays, insurance, multiple visits, and new patient fees. You can still receive a custom night guard that is the same premium quality at half the cost without leaving the comfort of your home.
SportingSmiles has been in business since 2009 and has crafted oral products for over one million customers including six different types of night guards depending on your symptoms. Whether you grind, clench, or do both, SportingSmiles has a night guard for you. By ordering a night guard you’ll receive the patented impression kit and take easy impressions at home before shipping them back to SportingSmiles with free 3-way shipping.
Our dental lab experts will then craft a premium custom night guard designed to fight teeth grinding or clenching while you sleep. These night guards aren’t intrusive and provide comfort while protecting your teeth from serious damage. If you’d like to learn how to stop grinding teeth in sleep naturally, you’ll want to wear a night guard. This is the best defense against teeth grinding and the one way to prevent it.
