How To Stop Grinding Teeth In Sleep

Many people suffer from grinding teeth in sleep without even knowing it. And most of them don’t even know what grinding teeth in sleep is. Grinding teeth in sleep or in medical terms, the Bruxism, is the act of grinding teeth and clenching the jaw. It is one of the most common sleep disorders although there are people who grind teeth even during the day. For some, grinding teeth in sleep may be temporary and may not cause any dental related problems. However, if teeth grinding and jaw clenching is a continuous thing, it can cause teeth wearing, pain and discomfort in the jaw and headaches and earache.

Factors like stress and anxiety are common culprits for grinding teeth in sleep, but in most cases, it is hard to figure out the real reasons that cause this sleeping disorder. If you think you may be grinding teeth in sleep but are not 100% sure, ask your partner to monitor you during night. If you are indeed grinding teeth in sleep, then visit your dentist so he/she can examine your mouth for signs of grinding and to recommend proper treatment. There are also numerous different ways you can on your own try to stop grinding teeth in sleep.

As we’ve mentioned earlier, one of the main cause for teeth grinding is stress. Therefore, try to overcome stress or at least keep it to a minimum. But how? Get away from all the negative sources in your life, such as distancing yourself from an intolerable co-worker or a noisy neighbor or a relationship that has not been working for a while now. Also, try to implement a healthy lifestyle – get enough sleep, eat well, exercise and have fun. All this will give you more energy and freshness to help you better deal with your daily life tasks. If all of this does not help, try stress counseling.

Another tip to help you stop grinding teeth in sleep is to try to avoid caffeine, especially before going to bed. Caffeine is a stimulant and will make it more difficult for you to relax. Also avoid alcohol. Although alcohol can help you fall asleep faster, the quality of sleep will be poor. To be more relaxed at night, you must avoid any stress before bed. Turn off the TV and computer, read in bed or listen to some soothing music. Relax your face muscles by placing a warm washcloth over it. Furthermore, if you notice that you are grinding teeth during the day, try putting your tongue between the teeth in order to relax the jaw. If none of these DIYs work for you, seek professional help.

Professional and experienced dentist will evaluate your symptoms and Bruxism problem and see which treatment will best work for you. Although, grinding teeth in sleep is hardly ever treated with medication, sometimes muscle relaxants may be prescribed to help loosen the jaw. The most common grinding teeth in sleep treatment is the mouth guard or a splint. You will need to wear it every night to protect your teeth from wear and damage. If your teeth have been damaged due to your grinding teeth in sleep, there are ways to fix them. In case your teeth are out of alignment, crowns can be used to reshape the surface of your teeth and repair your bite. Also, if the look of you teeth has been affected by the grinding, visit a cosmetic dentistry professional to reconstruct and reshape your shortened or ground down teeth with dental crowns or veneers.