In the event you’re coping with jaw, tooth, ear or head pain, particularly within the morning, you could have sleep bruxism, which implies you are grinding or clenching your tooth once you sleep. When you’ve got a light case, you’ll be able to attempt to deal with it and soothe your signs at house. When you’ve got a extra extreme case or it does not enhance, be sure you see your dentist or physician for therapy.
Why do I grind my tooth once I sleep?
Earlier than we clarify tips on how to cease grinding your tooth, let’s take a step again and take a look at what causes this situation within the first place. There are a number of threat components for sleep bruxism, together with:
Individuals who grind their tooth throughout sleep usually tend to produce other sleep problems as nicely, equivalent to snoring or sleep apnea, in response to the Mayo Clinic.
In some instances, grinding your tooth at night time could cause broken or unfastened tooth, complications and jaw or facial ache. Fortuitously, although, there are a couple of pure methods to cut back bruxism and luxuriate in extra restful sleep with out taking remedy or present process surgical procedure.
6 methods to cease grinding your tooth naturally
In the event you’re involved in regards to the potential impacts of bruxism, there are pure options you’ll be able to strive if in case you have a light case. Beneath, we have pulled collectively half a dozen house treatments for tooth grinding, so you’ll be able to sleep peacefully and get up with out ache.
1. Carry out mouth and jaw workout routines
By performing mouth and jaw exercises, you’ll be able to loosen up your jaw, preserve the muscular tissues versatile and doubtlessly stop or ease the ache from tooth grinding.
Pattern train:
- Shut your lips (with out letting your prime and backside tooth contact)
- Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth, however do not let it contact your tooth
- Keep on this place for a number of minutes whereas taking gradual breaths
- Repeat a couple of occasions per day
You may as well therapeutic massage your jaw muscular tissues to ease pressure round your mouth. To strive it, use your fingers to press gently towards all sides of your jaw, transferring in small circles alongside the facet of your face.
2. Restrict caffeine
Consuming caffeinated drinks, together with espresso and black tea, can worsen sleep bruxism. In the event you eat a lot of these drinks usually, cutting caffeine out of your diet could show you how to cease grinding your tooth at night time.
If going chilly turkey is simply too troublesome, you’ll be able to strive decaffeinated variations of your favourite merchandise. For instance, you would possibly swap your day by day espresso for a decaf cup of joe. Or, for those who’re a tea drinker, you would swap from inexperienced tea to non-caffeinated natural tea, which has the additional advantage of promoting sleep and leisure.
Caffeine, alcohol and tobacco are additionally related to nighttime tooth grinding. When you’ve got sleep bruxism, you will wish to restrict your consumption of those substances as nicely.
3. Apply heat compresses
By stress-free your jaw muscular tissues at night time, you could possibly stop your tooth from grinding and clenching when you sleep. To do that, apply a heat washcloth to the facet of your face (in entrance of your earlobe) earlier than bedtime.
4. Handle stress
Stress is one other risk factor for bruxism, so if you’ll find new, wholesome methods to deal with your day by day stressors, you could possibly stop nighttime tooth grinding as nicely. Listed below are a couple of stress-relieving tactics to include into your routine:
- Get cardio train a minimum of twice per week
- Apply self-care and optimistic self-talk
- Strive yoga and respiratory workout routines
- Construct significant relationships
- Set reasonable targets for your self
5. Keep away from gum and laborious meals
In the event you grind your tooth at night time, it is best to avoid chewing gum as a result of it will possibly pressure your jaw muscular tissues and encourage clenching or grinding. It will possibly additionally worsen the ache or discomfort attributable to bruxism. Equally, strive to not eat laborious, dense or chewy meals since they will promote jaw clenching and result in extra ache.
6. Contemplate magnesium dietary supplements
Whereas extra research are wanted, some research means that there might be a hyperlink between magnesium deficiency and bruxism. Why? Magnesium performs a job in many alternative bodily capabilities, together with muscle contraction and leisure. When you do not have sufficient magnesium in your physique, you would find yourself with pressure in your jaw muscular tissues and, in flip, nighttime tooth grinding and clenching.
In that case, upping your magnesium consumption could assist. One of many best methods to do this is by taking magnesium supplements, which may help loosen up your muscular tissues, alleviate stress and promote better sleep, all of which can ease bruxism.
Backside line: Need to cease grinding your tooth at night time?
When you’ve got delicate bruxism or solely grind your tooth sometimes, these pure approaches might assist alleviate some signs. But when your situation is extra extreme otherwise you’re usually in ache once you get up, it is higher to seek the advice of a physician, particularly for those who assume you might need sleep apnea along with bruxism. Throughout your go to, your physician will assist determine the explanations in your tooth grinding and create a therapy plan that addresses these causes.
Your dentist also needs to search for indicators of tooth grinding throughout your common exams, however for those who’re involved, you’ll be able to all the time carry it up at your appointment. They might advocate you get fitted for an evening guard, which protects the tooth and acts as a barrier to stop strain and harm from tooth grinding at night time.
