You wake up with a dull pain shooting right through your head. When you open your mouth to speak, there’s a soreness that wasn’t there the day before. It’s hard for you to get your jaw to open enough to eat your breakfast.
These are all signs that you might be grinding your teeth at night. Teeth grinding, (also known as bruxism) is a normal health condition that many people suffer from.
If it’s left unchecked, you might end up with a chipped tooth, or worse. So, how do you stop yourself from doing it if it happens while you’re asleep? Check out this guide to find out.
What is Sleep Bruxism?
Before we talk about what you can do about your problem, let’s talk more about what bruxism is. Most of the time, people do it without even realizing it.
It doesn’t matter if they are asleep or awake. It tends to be an involuntary action, so people do it unconsciously. Usually, if someone has bruxism, they also have another sleep disorder such as apnea.
If your condition is mild enough, you might not have to go through one of the treatments that we’re going to talk about here. If you start experiencing complications, however, it might be time for you to visit your doctor.
Symptoms of Bruxism
Since it’s hard to spot the signs of teeth grinding on your own while you’re sleeping, let us help you out. Bruxism puts a lot of strain on the jaw. This strain can cause soreness.
You may oftentimes find it hard to open your mouth to eat and speak. Some people experience neck and face pain with this sleep disorder.
You may notice a raw spot on the inside of your cheek where you chewed it on accident. Your teeth will become sensitive to many foods that you used to love. You might wake up in the middle of the night and have a dull headache the next day.
Mouthguards
The good news is that there are ways to fix bruxism. The most common method is by using a teeth grinding guard. They protect your teeth as you sleep and prevent jaw strain.
You can either go to this family dentist to get a custom-made guard or go the over-the-counter route. We will say that there are benefits of doing both.
The custom-made ones fit your exact jaw measurements. This makes them so comfortable to wear, that you might not even notice that you have them in.
The over-the-counter ones are made using plastic. This makes them harder to get used to and nowhere near as comfortable to wear while you’re trying to sleep.
Where the over-the-counter ones shine is price. Not everyone can afford a trip to the dentist, after all. If you’re on a budget, they can handle minor cases of bruxism.
We will say that if you have a more serious case of teeth grinding, you may have no choice but to go with a custom-made one.
Take the Time to Manage Your Stress Levels
If you have any kind of mental health issue, teeth grinding follows most of the time. The stress can leave you biting down without realizing it.
So, you might be able to fix your problem by meditating, talking to a skilled therapist, signing up for yoga classes, or hitting the gym.
Meditation
Meditation is a great thing to practice along with the other stress-reduction techniques mentioned above. It takes all the jumbled up thoughts flowing through your mind and allows you to dump them.
We understand that clearing your brain is easier said than done. You can download an app on your phone to help you learn the proper way to do it, or join up with a group.
Therapy
Sometimes all it takes is talking through your problems to give you some peace of mind. You can unload your worries on a trusted friend or family member or seek out professional counseling.
A therapist can prescribe medications to calm you down if they think it’s necessary. So, making an appointment is the right way to go in most cases.
Yoga
Practicing yoga has the power to lift your mood and put you in a higher state of being. There are different ways for you to learn the different poses.
You could read beginner’s books, look up tutorials online, or join a class.
Exercise
Exercising releases feel-good endorphins in the brain. If you’re new to working out, you don’t have to hit the gym each day. Going on a jog before work a few days out of the week will do the trick.
Medications
Taking certain medications will reduce the amount of muscle movement going on in your jaw while you sleep. Another thing that can take away some muscle movement is botox injections.
Make sure that you discuss things with your doctor before you start a new treatment. They can sit down with you and let you know if it will help you or not.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback will teach you how to control your muscle movements even while you’re sleeping. It does this using vibratory, visual, and auditory feedback.
This feedback is generated using electromyography.
Solutions for Grinding Your Teeth at Night
Grinding your teeth at night can lead to tons of health issues if you go without treatment. Dull head pain, cracked teeth, jaw soreness, and worn-out tooth enamel are only some of the many side effects.
The good news is that it’s not hard to fix. Talk to your dentist today to find out more about your treatment options.
Are you looking for more ways to take care of your teeth? Check out the Health section of our blog daily for additional articles like this one.
