While sleep is vital to your overall wellbeing, it is also one of the most overlooked elements. It’s easy to assume that we can sleep when we are tired, but the quality of our sleep is just as important.
When we don’t get enough quality sleep, it has a knock-on effect on our bodies. We feel tired and lethargic, and our brains don’t function at full capacity. Lack of sleep can affect our mood and make us more irritable and impulsive.
Also, the quality of sleep is directly related to the health of your teeth. Find out in the following lines how it is connected and what you can do about it.
How can sleep impact oral health?
Sleep is essential in the body’s recovery process, which means your body can repair itself and get rid of toxins after a long day, especially if you have been stressed. However, if you suffer from sleep apnea or any other sleeping disorder, it can damage your teeth by producing more acid in your mouth as well as reducing saliva flow. These two factors can cause tooth decay and gum disease. The production of acid and reduction of saliva increases the acidity levels in your mouth, causing it to wear away at the enamel on your teeth. To maintain good oral health, visit this Dentist in Pasadena.
When looking after your oral health, you must look at all aspects of your lifestyle to ensure that you are doing everything you can to promote good oral hygiene and overall wellness.
A good night’s sleep is essential to support our immune system and help it fight off infection. It is because sleep helps transport white blood cells to different parts of our body. Sleep deprivation can reduce the number of white blood cells in our body, making us more susceptible to infections such as gum disease.
The most common dental problems caused by lack of sleep
Breath – It’s no secret that bad breath can occur if you fail to brush your teeth or floss before bedtime, but it can also be due to a lack of sleep. That is because bad breath can be caused by bacteria building up on your tongue as you sleep. If you wake up with bad breath, you may want to consider improving your sleep routine to improve your breath.
Teeth grinding – Teeth grinding (bruxism) happens when you clench or grind your teeth together during sleep. Bruxism can cause damage to your teeth such as cracks, wear, and chips while also causing discomfort in the jaw muscles and pain in the joints. While bruxism can be caused by stress and anxiety, it can also be caused by an abnormal bite or missing or crooked teeth.
Gum disease – A study found that those who suffer from insomnia are 54 percent more likely to develop periodontal (gum) disease than those who don’t. Gum disease tends to affect individuals in their 30s, so sleep issues may present themselves before this time.
If you have an oral health condition, you may be more prone to snoring or grinding your teeth as you sleep. That can disrupt your sleep as well as the sleep of those around you. If your teeth are in poor condition due to lack of brushing, flossing, or dental care, this can contribute to your sleeping disturbances.
For a bright smile, you should go to the dentist and orthodontist regularly so that you can prevent further dental diseases. It is possible to have straight, healthy, and white teeth, only with proper care and taking care of the entire health of the organism.
How to improve dental health and sleep quality?
There is a link between your dental health and how well you sleep. So how do you ensure your oral hygiene is at its best?
When it comes to maintaining a good dental routine, it’s vital to brush twice a day and floss once a day. Additionally, using mouthwash can help kill off bacteria build-up and keep bad breath at bay. It’s also advised to visit your dentist every six months for a check-up as they can spot any minor issues before they become a problem.
When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, try not to drink too much caffeine after 3 pm (such as tea or coffee) or have too much alcohol close to bedtime as these will prevent you from getting into a deep sleep. It’s recommended that you get between 7-9 hours of sleep each night so aim for this amount of time in bed, ready for slumber!
Bad sleep and dry mouth are linked
Having a dry mouth can lead to bad breath, which can be embarrassing and in some cases, can cause an individual to become withdrawn and socially isolated. Dry mouth is also known as xerostomia. It occurs when there is not enough saliva in the mouth, and therefore it becomes more difficult to swallow food and speak properly. It also makes it easier for bacteria to grow inside the mouth, leading to tooth decay. Dental decay often causes pain in the teeth, which may disturb your sleep patterns.
What this means for you: If you are having trouble sleeping, but have no underlying medical conditions that need attending to, you may wish to consider the impact your diet has on your quality of sleep. In addition, if you do wake up with a dry mouth, talk to your dentist about some solutions that may help you get back to your normal self.
Take equal care of your teeth and sleep quality!
Author bio:
Alison Pearson is an interior design student. She is a writer and designer, and her ultimate passion is art and architecture. She is also a bibliophile and her favorite book is “The Sound and the Fury” by William Faulkner. Follow her on Twitter.