A few months ago, I received some unsettling news from my dentist: I was grinding my teeth in my sleep, something I had apparently been doing for quite some time (the condition is formally known as Bruxism). The grinding had gotten so bad that I had actually started wearing away at the surface of my teeth!
The news was a bit unsettling but also somewhat of a relief as it elucidated why I was experiencing some strange symptoms- trouble sleeping, headaches, jaw tension, and aching gums. However, it wasn’t much of a relief when I asked my dentist what could be done to rectify my little predicament. His solution was to fit me for a mouth guard, which would cost me over a grand! The alternative? Settle for life as a tooth grinder, or bruxist, and continue to deal with the many detrimental side effects. Not wanting to shell out that much money to correct a problem I never really knew I had, I decided to hold off, figuring I would find a better way to solve this issue.
I had put this problem on the back-burner, convincing myself it really wasn’t that big of a deal. In a fortuitous twist, Eric, who knew nothing about the problem that I was pretending not to have, mentioned that a friend of his had actually invented a new product designed to cure my condition! While a mouth guard would stop tooth grinding itself, this new design, the SleepGuard, would actually solve the problem for good at its root.
Naturally, I decided to give it a try and the results were so great, I just had to share it with all of you, especially since I’m sure more than a few of you are amongst the millions who suffer from this condition
The SleepGuard biofeedback headband packs innovative technologies into a headband as small as a wrist watch and is designed to sense the tiny electrical signals your jaw muscles give off when you clench. When clenching is detected, it emits a tone that assists you in training yourself out of clenching and grinding (no, the tone won’t wake you up, but you will still hear it and if you train yourself properly, you will just automatically stop clenching without losing any shut-eye).
So how does it work?
Well for the first few nights, you wear the it with the volume on mute, which records a “baseline” measurement of your clenching activity. The SleepGuard should also be worn for at least an hour each day while awake with the volume on high. This will alert you to times when you clench and during this phase, it’s essential to train yourself to relax whenever the tone sounds.
After these first few days, you can begin using it in biofeedback mode. The volume can be adjusted and should be set to a low volume level for light sleepers, and a higher one for heavy sleepers. Each morning you should track your score and during this phase, you will be amazed to find that the number of times you clench starts to decrease.
How do you know if you need it?
– You regularly experience headaches in the morning
– You regularly experience migraines in the morning
– You regularly experience jaw or tooth pain
– You regularly experience neck pain in the morning
– Your teeth are sensitive to hot or cold or when chewing
– You cracked a tooth
– You experience TMJ problems (TMD)
You might also suspect bruxism if:
– You sleep poorly or do not feel refreshed even after a long sleep (this can also be caused by other conditions such as sleep apnea).
– You regularly experience inner ear pain, vertigo, or ringing in the ear (tinnitus)
Anti-Aging benefits:
In addition to detecting the amount of clenching that occurs at night, the SleepGuard can be worn with the sensor pads of the units pointed toward the center of the forehead (instead of away from the center of their forehead), so that so that it only picks up eye brow movement. Many people who have used this product noticed the were wrinkling their brows a lot in their sleep- which can lead to having noticeable brow wrinkles. You can use the same conditioning principles to train yourself to stop nighttime brow-wrinkling. In addition, we all know that a good night’s rest has enormous benefits when it comes to looking and feeling better, so whether you wrinkle your brows or not, this design has amazing cosmetic benefits for all.
Where to Buy:
The Sleep Guard can be purchased online at stopgrinding.com and retails for $395 ($195 after rebate). In addition, you are guaranteed a free 3 week trial, meaning you won’t be billed until you’ve had the Sleep Guard for a full 21 days. If within that time you find the Sleep Guard is not for you, just send it back, easy as that!
I got my tooth-grinding issue under control and now you can too. Give it a try and don’t forget to report back and tell us about your experience with the Sleep Guard!
– SABRINA ALEXIS
Written by Sabrina Alexis
