Aaron Hartman, MDFunctional Medicine Specialist | Clinical Researcher

Sleep Hacks | The Hidden Impact of Teeth Grinding on Your Health

19 Jul 2024 · 0 min

Watch on YouTube

0:25

A short YouTube clip (speaker: Aaron Hartman, MD) explaining that nocturnal teeth grinding (bruxism) can activate the temporomandibular joint and affect facial/nervous-system nerves, worsening sleep — particularly in people with hypermobility, mild sleep apnea, or distress. The speaker recommends a personalized dental grind guard and using mouth tape as practical interventions to improve sleep.

Many people grind their teeth at night. And the grinding of your teeth can actually activate your temporomandibular joint. And there's a facial nerve, there's a nerve that's actually impacted by that, and that can actually be activating to your nervous system. This is especially important in people who have hypermobility or mild sleep apnea or distress. And so getting a personalized grind guard from your dentist that goes in your mouth that prevents that grinding and then with a piece of mouth tape can have a big impact on your sleep.