The reason for teeth grinding in people is not very clear. However, according to the UK’s National Health Society, teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, has been associated with anxiety. Poor sleep, long hours, and high-stress work have also been associated with bruxism.
Additionally, a particular study showed that there is a parallel between teeth grinding and sleep disorder. According to the Great Hill Dental Chelmsford, choosing a better lifestyle can help with stopping bruxism. If you are already seeing the damage caused by teeth grinding, you can consult this Dentist in Clifton for effective dental solutions.
If you wonder how you can stop grinding teeth at night, try these yoga poses and the exercises explained in this article.
Yoga for Your Teeth
Both yoga and meditation are excellent practices for relaxation. Since bruxism is associated with stress, practicing yoga can potentially fix the problem.
And although yoga has multiple benefits ranging from flexibility and strength to adopting a more relaxed state of mind, those are not the only benefits of yoga poses.
Certain Yoga Poses
The following yoga poses can help you with teeth grinding at night:
- Eyes on the Clock
The first way of relaxing is by closing your eyes. Keeping your eyelids closed, move your eyes in circles twenty times to the right and then twenty times to the left.
- Warrior 2 Pose
This pose will expand your whole body with a good stretch but applies moderate pressure on the leading leg’s quads and hamstrings. Hold this pose for around 10 minutes or ten breaths, and then switch legs, sides, and arms.
Watch how to do Warrior 2 pose here:
- The Camel Pose
This pose is done on the ground, and for extra comfort, you can use a mat. The camel pose works by expanding the entire neck muscles and thoracic cavity. If you are not very flexible, this pose can be challenging in the beginning. So, it’s essential to ease into it so that you do not injure yourself.
Ensure that you have a yoga block to support you.
Watch how to do the camel pose here:
- The Bridge Pose
As the name suggests, this pose is done on the floor, and it imitates the arch of a bridge. With this pose, you lift your spine as you tighten your abdominal walls and push your hips upwards.
This pose will most likely make you feel light-headed but try to get through it because the results are blissful.
Check this tutorial on how to do bridge pose:
Facial Exercises for Teeth Grinding
If you realize that teeth grinding cannot allow you to sleep at night, try the following facial exercise in addition to the above yoga poses:
- Stick out your tongue
Put your tongue between your upper and lower teeth and move it from side to side. Ensure that you do not move your head forward.
- Train your tongue
Hold your tongue for 10 seconds in the following positions. Try to touch the nose, the chin, back of the lower right teeth, and the left teeth. Ensure that you keep your face relaxed all the time by engaging your secret smile.
- Say NNNN
Say the letter ‘NNNNNNNNNN’ loudly as you press and hold your tongue on the palate. Hold for about 5 seconds and repeat five times.
- Learn to cluck
Clucking several times will help your tongue familiarize itself with the upper palate and become stronger.
- Locate the roof of your mouth
Putting the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, gently drag it back as far as you can go. Be careful not to cause any tension by pressing it too hard. Repeat these ten times.
- Puff your cheeks
Blow out your cheeks with air, and then hold it for about 20 seconds. Move the air from right to left and also around the mouth until you are tired. You can also do this using water as a variation to act as an excellent relaxer for the cheeks’ internal part.
- Remember to smile
Using your lips, cover your teeth. Make a large ‘O’ and then move your mouth to a wide smile. While ensuring that your teeth are covered, alternate between the two shapes. Hold your smile for about 5 seconds, and you can repeat this a few times.
Final Thoughts
Consistency is key to stopping teeth grinding at night. When doing these yoga poses, you should try to do them as often as possible. By adding the to your daily or weekly routine, you can improve various health aspects in your life, especially in your jaw and oral health.
The changes will not come overnight, but you will need to practice the above yoga poses and facial exercises to see results. You will not only stop grinding your teeth, but these poses can also help you feel more relaxed, healthier, and fitter.
