09 Apr Key Signs You Need a Night Guard
Sleeping poorly? It could be due to your mouth. Many people wake up in the morning with a sore jaw or teeth due to grinding them during their sleep. Grinding your teeth can also contribute to a poor night’s sleep by constantly waking up in the night without warning. Luckily, using a night guard can help alleviate those issues.
If you’re unsure if you’re actually grinding your teeth at night, here are some key signs you might benefit from a night guard.
You Might Need a Night Guard if You Have Headaches When You Wake Up
If you wake up in the morning and you’re already in pain from a headache this is a key sign you might need a night guard. Your jaw builds up a lot of pressure when your teeth are rubbing together at night. This eventually causes pain in the sides and back of the head which often manifests as headaches, unfortunately.
Other effects can also include:
- Toothaches
- Earaches
- Pain in your shoulders
In severe cases, teeth grinding can even cause migraines over time so it’s important to treat it early.
You Have Jaw Soreness or Pain
Naturally, if you’re grinding your teeth at night you’re putting your jaw under stress. This can carry forward in your day as pain or stiffness in your mouth.
Obviously, this is not ideal.
A night guard can help prevent you from grinding down your teeth and reduce or eliminate any jaw soreness or pain you might be feeling.
You Don’t Have a Constant Night of Sleep
Depending on your mouth and jaw, you may be waking up in the night due to grinding your teeth.
Sleep loss is connected to all kinds of health problems so sleeping well is important for you to stay healthy. Sleep apnea, one of the most common sleep disorders, happens when your throat muscles relax. When this occurs, your airways become constricted or blocked, and your breathing is interrupted. Teeth grinding is often a symptom of sleep apnea, so sometimes both are treated at the same time.
Talk to your dentist about whether your lack of sleep could be due to grinding your teeth.
Grinding your teeth often happens when you’re stressed or anxious, so finding ways to relax and calm down before bed can potentially help reduce your teeth grinding as well. Getting a night guard fitted to your mouth can help in more serious cases though and help you feel better and in less (or no) pain waking up in the mornings.