Insomnia….Its in the jaw!!!

Sleep issues? Insomnia? You might be looking in the wrong place

You may be pulling your hair out because you’re not sleeping and it seems to be getting worse.

Are your neck and shoulders also becoming an issue? There might just be a clue you had not thought of!!! THE JAW!

The Massetter muscle in the jaw, is the strongest muscle in the body having the capacity to produce a bite strength of 974 pounds (measured in the Guiness book of records).

Insomnia, it could be in your jaw

Mr and Mrs average, however (that is you and me), have a bite strength of between 117 and 265 pounds.

That is still very, very strong!!

Although you may not be aware of grinding your teeth when you sleep, you could be. If you’re stressed, you might also be clenching or grinding your teeth more and more.

Bruxism is a disorder where you either grind, gnash or clench your teeth. Bruxism has a huge impact on the quality of your sleep.

I have clients who have taken massive action and have had their jaw broken and brought forward to solve their insomnia and apnea problem and others who have had a small device fitted on their teeth to stop them grinding, both of which have transformed their sleep.

Grinding your teeth is something important to watch if you’re not sleeping.

When the Massetter muscle becomes tight it starts to create all sorts of problems, especially with sleep as everything, including your neck and shoulders, will start to be affected.

You might not be ready to have your jaw broken if you think you have apnea, but it’s worth having a sleep study if you have insomnia to see what’s going on with your jaw and your teeth.

Teeth grinding can start with stress and anxiety, so that is the first thing to get under control.

You must have a wind down ritual every single day, otherwise stress overflows into each day and then builds up to create bigger more serious issues.  You could try my 40 minute evening ritual.  It’s simple and anyone can do it!

Try this simple jaw massage for about 30 seconds 5 times a day, and before bed.

Find the corner of your jaw bone with your middle finger (careful of long nails!) and move the fingers in small circular motions as deeply as possible. It will feel uncomfortable, but that is because the muscle is tight.

After 30 seconds open the mouth as far as possible and then relax, then see if you feel a sensation of lightness.

You can do it up to three times!

Have a go, it feels good!

 

If you’re struggling to work out why you’re not sleeping

Book a FREE call with me and we can talk it through, just click here to book.

Join my 4 week Sleep Enhancement course.  For details click here.