If you are disturbed by snoring at night, teeth grinding in sleep is another problem. Teeth grinding in sleep is medically known as sleep bruxism. It is considered as both a medical and a dental concern that needs to be treated.

Sleep bruxism or teeth grinding in sleep is when you clench your jaw and make a grinding sound with your teeth. The teeth are clamped together with such a force that a low grating sound is heard and the jaw muscles are contracted. Upon waking up, you will feel pain in your jaw part or headaches.

Physicians say that teeth grinding in sleep is caused primarily by stress, anxiety or depression during the day. Psychotropic medicines are prescribed for severe depression and these medicines may trigger teeth grinding at night. Dentists, on the other hand, think that teeth grinding can be due to some dental problems such as misaligned teeth. There are other factors too like poor posture, eating disorders, caffeine and alcohol, including aggression.

Whatever the reasons are for teeth grinding in sleep, it’s surely not good for your teeth. Teeth grinding in sleep is an involuntary action of the jaw muscles because it happens while you are sleeping. The action puts ten times the pressure on your teeth than chewing your food. Many people with sleep bruxism have noticeably poor teeth; they have chipped, flat and worn down teeth. They may also complain of sensitivity to cold especially when drinking cold beverages.

Is there any way to cope with sleep bruxism? If you have been teeth grinding in sleep for a long time, the damage to your teeth may be irreparable but you can avoid further dental problems.

If teeth grinding is due to stress, try some relaxation techniques. You can enroll or do yoga, meditate, listen to music or exercise.  You can also seek professional counseling to manage your stress. To ease the soreness of your jaw in the morning, massage your facial muscles in the jaw line.

Remedies for Sleep Bruxism

Here’s a quick list of simple remedies for sleep bruxism that you can follow. For more comprehensive details on these remedies, be sure to browse the rest of this website.

• Chewing fruits and vegetables before bedtime like apple, carrot or cauliflower can exercise your mouth and gums. This will calm your mouth muscles and you will not grind teeth during sleep.
• Put a warm washcloth around your face. You can simply dip the washcloth in lukewarm water and the warm temperature will lessen headache as well as relax your jaw muscles. Do it every night and you will find release from grinding teeth grinding.
• Have a warm massage and a warm bath. It helps to relax your muscles in the mouth.
• Lie on your back flat to avoid grating your teeth. This is the most relaxing way to sleep.
• Before sleeping, have a drink of warm milk or hot herbal tea .Warm drinks can make you sleep better.
• Calcium and magnesium supplements can prevent worn teeth and weak enamel caused by habitual teeth grinding.
• Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. These also cause teeth grinding. Drinking coffee before bedtime must also be avoided.

Dentists are the medical professionals that can help you with bruxism. Visit your dentist if you think you are teeth grinding in your sleep. They can prescribe mouth guards. Mouth guards do not stop teeth grinding, they can only control or prevent further damage to your teeth.