Night Guards and Recovery: Focus, Heart, Immune

In part one of this two-part blog series, we looked at some of the major ways that night guards combine with regular sport mouthguard usage to offer optimal protection and performance to various athletes. While wearing a mouthguard during any significant activity is very important for protection of the mouth and jaw, use of a night guard while sleeping can complement and increase these benefits in several ways.

At Damage Control Mouthguards, we're happy to offer not only a huge selection of custom mouthguard options, from football mouthguards to boxing mouthguards and more, but also a wide range of night guards for those looking for comprehensive protection. While part one of our series went over themes like jaw placement, muscle recovery and increased energy levels (largely due to quality sleep improvements) as benefits of night guards, today's part two will look at some additional areas where they add value and complement mouthguard usage. 

Mental Clarity and Focus

Speaking of the benefits of better sleep, many athletes rely on the psychological effects of improved rest to perform at their best. And while night guards won't necessarily solve all your sleep issues, they can certainly improve matters by reducing snoring and enhancing breathing patterns. 

This combination leads to a better oxygen flow in the body overall, which means increased alertness upon waking up and during athletic activities. And for those who find themselves waking up with headaches, night guards can be equally useful thanks to their role in mitigating tension and pain throughout the head area. 

Heart Health

Another noteworthy aspect of increased oxygen flow relates to heart health, as poor breathing patterns and sleep apnea can cause significant issues in this area. In fact, some studies have shown that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can lead to higher blood pressure levels due to the sheer lack of oxygen reaching the heart. 

Using a night guard can mitigate OSA symptoms like snoring and interruptions in breathing, leading to lower blood pressure levels and better overall heart health. 

Immune System Boost

Down related lines, poor sleep is also linked to a range of immune system issues, from slower healing and recovery to decreased white blood cell production. And while night guards (or indeed any other mouthguard) won't eradicate all these problems, they can certainly help mitigate them by doing things like reducing jaw tension and promoting better breathing patterns. 

For athletes, quality immune system function is crucial to staying healthy and performing at optimal levels. And using a night guard can certainly play a role in achieving this, particularly when combined with other best practices like proper nutrition and rest. 

So there you have it - between better jaw placement, muscle recovery, energy levels, mental clarity, heart health and immune system boosting properties (among others), night guards are a fantastic complement to traditional mouthguard usage. To learn more about our various custom options or any of our other products, contact the team at Damage Control Mouthguards today. We're happy to provide additional information or help you find the perfect mouthguard solution for your needs!