Best Night Ever!
Best Night Ever!
The Silent Sleep Killer Hiding in Your Mouth
Discover the shocking connection between your oral health and sleep quality that 90% of people don't know about. Dr. Jay Khorsandi reveals how teeth grinding, gum disease, tongue position, and even your bite alignment could be sabotaging your sleep every single night. Learn the hidden signs your mouth is destroying your rest and the simple dental interventions that could transform your sleep forever.
Welcome back to Best Night Ever... where we explore the latest science and practical strategies to improve your sleep, wellness... and longevity. Before we dive in today... if you're not already following along on Instagram, you can find me at sleepbiohacker for daily sleep optimization tips and behind-the-scenes content. And if you want to take your sleep game to the next level... head over to my website at www dot sleepbiohacker dot com to sign up for my weekly email list. You'll get exclusive biohacking tips delivered straight to your inbox... plus you can sign up to receive my free"Biohacker's Guide to Jet Lag Hacking." Trust me... it's a complete game-changer for travelers. Now... here's something that might absolutely shock you: What if I told you that the reason you're waking up tired... has nothing to do with your mattress, your room temperature, or even your sleep schedule? What if the culprit... is literally sitting right inside your mouth? Today, we're diving into one of the most overlooked connections in sleep science... the fascinating and often devastating relationship between your oral health and your sleep quality. And I have to warn you... some of what we're going to cover today might completely change how you think about your nightly routine. Let's get started! Here's the thing that most people... including many doctors... simply don't realize: Your mouth is essentially the gateway to your airway. And when things go wrong in your mouth... your sleep pays the price. As someone who's spent years treating patients with sleep disorders... I can tell you that some of the most dramatic sleep improvements I've witnessed didn't come from sleep medications or fancy gadgets... they came from addressing dental issues. Let me start with something that affects nearly forty percent of adults... and most people have absolutely no idea they're doing it. Teeth grinding... or bruxism as we call it in the medical field. A twenty-twenty-three study from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that people who grind their teeth experience sixty-seven percent more sleep fragmentation... meaning their sleep is constantly being interrupted... even if they don't remember waking up. But here's what's really fascinating... teeth grinding isn't just a cause of poor sleep... it's often a symptom of something much deeper. Recent research from Johns Hopkins revealed that up to eighty percent of people who grind their teeth also have some form of sleep-disordered breathing... including sleep apnea. Think about this for a moment... your body is literally fighting to breathe properly during sleep... and one of the ways it responds is by clenching and grinding your teeth. It's like a distress signal... that most people completely ignore. The signs you might be grinding your teeth? Morning jaw pain... headaches upon waking... worn or chipped teeth... and that feeling like you've been clenching all night. But teeth grinding is just the beginning... Let's talk about something even more insidious... gum disease and its connection to sleep. A twenty-twenty-four study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology followed over fifteen thousand people for ten years... and the results were absolutely staggering. People with moderate to severe gum disease were three times more likely to develop sleep apnea... and had significantly worse sleep quality scores across every metric they measured. But why? Here's the science that will blow your mind... Gum disease causes chronic inflammation in your mouth and throat tissues. This inflammation leads to swelling... which narrows your airway... making breathing during sleep more difficult. It's like having a low-grade infection right at the entrance to your respiratory system... every single night. And here's the really scary part... this creates a vicious cycle. Poor sleep weakens your immune system... making gum disease worse... which causes more inflammation... which makes sleep even worse. A twenty-twenty-three study from Harvard Medical School found that people with severe gum disease had forty-nine percent higher levels of inflammatory markers in their blood... and spent thirty-two percent less time in deep sleep. But wait... there's more. Let's talk about something that dentists have known for decades... but sleep doctors are just starting to understand... tongue position. Your tongue... believe it or not... is one of the most critical factors in maintaining an open airway during sleep. Dr. Steven Park, a leading expert in sleep medicine, describes the tongue as the"foundation of the airway." When your tongue doesn't rest in the proper position... it can literally collapse your breathing passages. Here's what proper tongue posture looks like: Your tongue should rest gently against the roof of your mouth... with the tip just behind your front teeth... not pressed hard... but making gentle contact. Most people... and this might include you... rest their tongue on the floor of their mouth. This improper positioning can reduce airway space by up to forty percent during sleep. A twenty-twenty-three study from Stanford University used advanced imaging to show that people with poor tongue posture had significantly smaller airway volumes... and were two-point-six times more likely to experience sleep-disordered breathing. The consequences? Snoring... sleep apnea... and even that feeling of waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat. But here's what's really fascinating... tongue position isn't just about genetics. It's often learned... and it can be retrained. Now... let me tell you about something that most people have never even heard of... but could be the key to unlocking better sleep: your bite alignment. When your teeth don't come together properly... what dentists call malocclusion... it can force your jaw into an unnatural position during sleep. This can push your tongue backward... narrowing your airway. A groundbreaking twenty-twenty-four study from the University of Michigan found that people with certain bite problems were four times more likely to develop sleep apnea... even when controlling for weight, age, and other factors. The most problematic? Something called a"retrognathic" bite... where your lower jaw sits too far back relative to your upper jaw. This positioning literally pulls your tongue into your airway space. But here's the incredible part... many of these issues can be corrected. Orthodontic treatment... not just for teenagers anymore... can literally reshape your airway. Adult orthodontics has become one of the fastest-growing areas in dentistry... precisely because we now understand its impact on sleep and breathing. Let me share something that might save your sleep... and possibly your life. Sleep apnea and oral health are so interconnected that many sleep specialists now require a dental evaluation as part of their assessment process. Here's why: Oral appliances... custom-made devices that gently advance your lower jaw during sleep... can be just as effective as CPAP machines for mild to moderate sleep apnea. A twenty-twenty-three meta-analysis published in Sleep Medicine Reviews found that oral appliances successfully treated sleep apnea in seventy-eight percent of patients... with significantly higher compliance rates than CPAP. Why? Because unlike CPAP machines... oral appliances are silent... require no electricity... are travel-friendly... and many people find them much more comfortable. But here's the key... they have to be properly fitted by a dentist trained in sleep medicine. A poorly fitted oral appliance can actually make things worse. Now... let me tell you about some warning signs that your oral health might be sabotaging your sleep: Morning jaw soreness or stiffness... this could indicate teeth grinding or clenching during sleep. Waking up with headaches... especially in the temple area... often related to jaw muscle tension from grinding. Dry mouth or sore throat upon waking... can indicate mouth breathing due to nasal obstruction or poor tongue position. Scalloped edges on your tongue... yes... look in the mirror right now. If the sides of your tongue have indentations from your teeth... it suggests your tongue is too large for your mouth space... or your airway is compromised. Worn or chipped teeth... obvious signs of grinding that need immediate attention. Receding gums or persistent bad breath... indicators of gum disease that could be affecting your sleep. Difficulty swallowing or feeling like food gets stuck... can indicate structural issues that also affect breathing during sleep. Here's something really important... children's oral health and sleep. If you have kids... pay attention to this. Mouth breathing in children... often due to enlarged tonsils or adenoids... can literally change the shape of their face and jaw development. Children who consistently breathe through their mouths develop what's called"long face syndrome"... a narrow, elongated facial structure that predisposes them to sleep apnea as adults. The good news? Early intervention can completely prevent these issues. Myofunctional therapy... exercises that train proper tongue and breathing patterns... can be life-changing for children. Now... let me share some practical strategies you can implement tonight: For tongue position training... try this simple exercise: Place the tip of your tongue behind your front teeth and try to suck your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Hold for ten seconds. Repeat ten times. Do this throughout the day to train proper tongue posture. For jaw tension... gentle jaw massage before bed. Use your fingertips to massage the muscles just in front of your ears in small circles. This can reduce grinding and clenching. For mouth breathing... try mouth taping. Yes... you heard that right. A small piece of medical tape over your lips can encourage nasal breathing. Start with just the center of your lips... not sealed completely... and only if you can breathe comfortably through your nose. For gum health... upgrade your oral hygiene routine. Electric toothbrushes are significantly more effective than manual ones. And don't forget to floss... or better yet... use a water flosser. Here's my personal oral health protocol for optimal sleep: I brush with an electric toothbrush for a full two minutes... focusing on the gum line. Then I floss... followed by oil pulling with coconut oil for about ten to fifteen minutes. Why oil pulling instead of mouthwash? Here's the thing that most people don't realize... traditional antibacterial mouthwashes are like taking a nuclear approach to your oral microbiome. They kill everything... the harmful bacteria... but also the beneficial bacteria that actually protect your mouth and support overall health. Oil pulling... on the other hand... works more selectively. It helps reduce harmful bacteria and inflammation... while supporting and preserving your natural oral microbiome balance. Think of it as working with your body's natural defenses... rather than wiping the slate completely clean every night. Tongue exercises... I spend two minutes doing tongue posture exercises while watching TV. This has become as automatic as brushing my teeth. Jaw relaxation... I do gentle jaw stretches and massage every night. Five minutes of attention to my jaw has eliminated the morning stiffness I used to experience. Sleep positioning... remember our last episode? Side sleeping isn't just good for brain cleaning... it's also optimal for maintaining an open airway and reducing pressure on your jaw joints. Let me tell you about a patient... I'll call her Sarah... who came to me exhausted despite sleeping eight hours every night. She'd tried everything... new mattresses... blackout curtains... sleep supplements... even a sleep study that came back"normal." But during our consultation... I noticed something interesting. Her teeth showed clear signs of grinding... her gums were inflamed... and when I asked her to show me where her tongue rested... it was pressed firmly against the floor of her mouth. We started with simple changes... proper oral hygiene... tongue posture exercises... and a custom night guard to protect her teeth. Within two weeks... she reported sleeping more soundly. Within a month... she was waking up energized for the first time in years. The transformation? Incredible. All from addressing oral health issues that no one had connected to her sleep problems. Here's something that might surprise you... the connection between oral health and sleep goes beyond just mechanical airway issues. Your mouth is home to billions of bacteria... and when the balance is disrupted... it can affect your entire body's inflammation levels... including in your brain. A twenty-twenty-four study from the University of California found that people with poor oral health had twenty-three percent higher levels of inflammatory markers that interfere with deep sleep. This explains why people with gum disease often report feeling tired even after a full night's sleep... their bodies are fighting inflammation instead of recovering. But here's the amazing part... improving oral health can rapidly reduce these inflammatory markers. Some studies show improvements in just two weeks of proper oral care. Let me address something important... the role of nutrition in oral health and sleep. What you eat doesn't just affect your teeth... it affects your sleep quality through multiple pathways. Sugar and refined carbohydrates... especially close to bedtime... feed harmful bacteria in your mouth... leading to acid production that can cause tooth sensitivity and disrupt sleep. But here's what's really interesting... certain foods can actually improve both oral health and sleep quality. Magnesium-rich foods like almonds and leafy greens... support both healthy gums and muscle relaxation for better sleep. Foods high in vitamin D... like fatty fish... support both bone health in your jaw and regulate sleep-wake cycles. Probiotic foods... like yogurt and kefir... can improve the bacterial balance in your mouth... and emerging research suggests they may also support better sleep quality. Now... let me talk about something that's becoming increasingly common... and incredibly problematic for sleep: dental anxiety and its impact on oral health. Many people avoid dental care due to anxiety... allowing problems to worsen... which then severely impacts their sleep. If you're someone who avoids the dentist... understand that untreated dental issues will only get worse... and they will affect your sleep quality. Modern dentistry has come so far in terms of comfort and pain management. Sedation dentistry... laser treatments... and advanced techniques make dental care more comfortable than ever before. The key is finding a dentist who understands the sleep connection... and there are more of them every year. Here's something crucial for anyone considering sleep apnea treatment... If you've been diagnosed with sleep apnea... or suspect you might have it... make sure your treatment team includes a dentist trained in sleep medicine. The collaboration between sleep doctors and dentists is producing some of the most effective treatments we've ever seen. Oral appliances... when properly designed and fitted... can be life-changing. But they require ongoing monitoring and adjustment... just like any medical device. And here's something many people don't know... oral appliances can actually be combined with other treatments for even better results. Some patients use a lower-pressure CPAP setting along with an oral appliance... getting the benefits of both with fewer side effects. Let me share some advanced strategies for those who want to take this to the next level: Myofunctional therapy... working with a trained therapist to retrain your tongue and breathing patterns. This can be incredibly effective... especially for children... but adults benefit too. Airway orthodontics... a specialized approach that focuses on expanding the jaw and palate to create more airway space. This isn't just about straight teeth... it's about creating optimal breathing passages. Tongue tie release... for those with restricted tongue movement... a simple procedure that can dramatically improve tongue posture and airway function. Sleep endoscopy... an advanced diagnostic technique where a sleep specialist can actually see what's happening in your airway during sleep-like conditions. This helps identify exactly where and how your airway is collapsing. Here's my personal experience with this connection... Years ago... I started noticing that I was waking up with jaw soreness... and my sleep quality seemed to be declining despite maintaining all my other sleep optimization strategies. A dental evaluation revealed that I was grinding my teeth... likely due to stress... and my bite had shifted slightly over time. I was fitted with a custom oral appliance... started myofunctional therapy... and implemented the oral health protocols I've shared with you today. The result? Not only did my jaw soreness disappear... but my sleep quality improved measurably. My sleep tracking showed deeper sleep phases and fewer micro-awakenings. It was a powerful reminder that sleep optimization requires looking at the whole system... not just individual factors in isolation. Now... let me give you some specific recommendations for different situations: If you snore... start with an evaluation for sleep apnea. Many people who think they"just snore" actually have sleep-disordered breathing that can be treated. If you wake up with headaches... consider teeth grinding. A night guard might provide immediate relief while you address underlying causes. If you have gum disease... treat it aggressively. The connection to sleep quality is too strong to ignore. See a periodontist if necessary. If you're a mouth breather... work on retraining nasal breathing. This might require addressing nasal congestion... allergies... or structural issues. If you have children who snore or seem tired despite adequate sleep... get them evaluated immediately. Early intervention can prevent lifelong problems. Here's something that's really important to understand... the connection between oral health and sleep is bidirectional. Poor sleep makes oral health problems worse... and oral health problems make sleep worse. Breaking this cycle requires addressing both sides simultaneously. That means... optimizing your sleep environment and habits... while also taking care of your oral health. You can't ignore one and expect the other to improve. And here's some exciting news... the field of dental sleep medicine is advancing rapidly. New technologies like 3D imaging allow dentists to see exactly how oral appliances will affect your airway... leading to more precise and effective treatments. Artificial intelligence is being used to predict which patients will respond best to different types of oral appliances... taking the guesswork out of treatment planning. And researchers are developing new materials and designs that make oral appliances more comfortable and effective than ever before. But perhaps most importantly... the collaboration between sleep medicine and dentistry is creating a more comprehensive approach to sleep health. Instead of treating symptoms in isolation... we're now looking at the whole person... understanding how different body systems interact to either support or sabotage sleep. Let me leave you with some actionable steps you can take starting tonight: First... do a simple oral health assessment. Look for signs of grinding... check your gum health... and pay attention to where your tongue naturally rests. Second... upgrade your oral hygiene routine if needed. Electric toothbrush... proper flossing technique... and consider adding a water flosser. Third... practice proper tongue posture throughout the day. Remember... tip behind the front teeth... gentle contact with the roof of your mouth. Fourth... if you suspect any oral health issues are affecting your sleep... schedule a dental consultation. Many dentists now understand the sleep connection and can provide valuable insights. And finally... be patient with yourself. Just like sleep position changes... improving the oral health and sleep connection takes time and consistency. That's a wrap on today's exploration of the fascinating connection between oral health and sleep! The research is absolutely clear... your mouth plays a crucial role in sleep quality... and addressing oral health issues can lead to dramatic improvements in how you feel every single day. Key takeaway: Your oral health isn't separate from your sleep health... they're intimately connected. Optimizing one supports the other... and ignoring oral health issues can sabotage even the best sleep optimization efforts. I challenge you... to implement one strategy from today's episode. Whether it's improving your oral hygiene routine... practicing proper tongue posture... or scheduling that dental appointment you've been putting off. Track how you feel over the next week... and I think you'll be amazed at the connection between your mouth and your sleep. If this episode opened your eyes to the oral health and sleep connection... I'd absolutely love to connect with you on Instagram@sleepbiohacker... where I share daily tips... answer your questions... and give you behind-the-scenes looks at the latest sleep research. And please... don't forget to sign up for my weekly email list on my website at www dot sleepbiohacker dot com to get exclusive biohacking content delivered straight to your inbox... plus you can get your free copy of my"Biohacker's Guide to Jet Lag Hacking." It's packed with strategies you simply won't find anywhere else. Please share this episode if it helped you... and subscribe for more science-based sleep strategies. In our next episode... we'll explore the fascinating world of red light therapy and melatonin... how specific wavelengths of light can actually enhance your body's natural sleep hormone production... why timing your light exposure could be more powerful than any supplement... the truth about melatonin that most people get completely wrong... including why taking it at the wrong time can actually make your sleep worse... and the surprising ways red light therapy is revolutionizing sleep optimization. That's going to be... a lot of fun as red light therapy has become quite popular these days!. Until next time… I truly hope you have the... Best Night Ever! This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice. If you suspect sleep apnea or have concerns about oral health affecting your sleep... please... consult with both a sleep specialist and a dentist trained in sleep medicine for proper evaluation and treatment.