Do you think you grind your teeth in your sleep? We tell you what could be the cause and how you can prevent it.
You may not realize it yourself at night, but when you wake up in the morning with a headache or aches in your jaw, you could be grinding your teeth in your sleep. And although you may not notice it much at the moment, you don't want to be left with the complaints it can cause during the day, right? So it's time to find out what caused it and what you can do about it.
Read also :'Why you sometimes wake up briefly before you fall asleep'
One of the biggest reasons for teeth grinding – which includes clenching your teeth – is stress. When we're stressed, our bodies release a boost of adrenaline and cortisol, two chemicals that raise our heart rate and blood pressure and give us more energy. These intense physical reactions can result in tension in our jaw and chewing muscles, causing some people to grind their teeth. Also, clenching your jaw can be a tic when you're stressed, as can nail biting, twisting your hair and tapping your leg.
Besides stress, there are also other factors that can cause teeth grinding. For example:
One of the most obvious solutions is to wear a mouthguard. You can have it custom made at the dentist. With the mouthguard you prevent damage to your teeth and prevent tension on your jaw muscles. Does it seem that the teeth grinding is genetically determined? Then it can also help to drink less alcohol and caffeine. Unfortunately, you cannot influence your genes, but you can adjust your lifestyle.
Not only can it be very annoying (and painful) for you as a grinder, but also for your partner - exactly, who is sleeping next to you - the grinding can be quite unpleasant. Fortunately, the mouthguard can help a lot with that and of course earplugs also do wonders...
