Do you grind your teeth at night? Perhaps you’re waking up with jaw pain or headaches? Sleep bruxism (teeth grinding) is a frustrating problem that can cause significant damage to your teeth and disrupt your quality of sleep.
Many people experience jaw clenching and teeth grinding while sleeping. This might leave you feeling tired and sore the next morning. Also if left untreated, severe bruxism can sometimes require dental treatment or even a custom mouth guard to protect your teeth from the damage that comes from grinding.
In this article, we’ll explore seven effective methods to help you stop grinding your teeth, reduce stress on your jaw muscles, and improve your sleep quality!
Key Takeaways
- Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, can cause damage to your teeth, jaw pain, and disrupt your sleep.
- Jaw clenching and grinding often happen while you’re busy sleeping, and identifying the symptoms of bruxism is essential in order to prevent any long-term damage.
- Solutions like mouth taping or using a mouth guard, as well as lifestyle changes like stress reduction may help protect your teeth and improve sleep quality.
-
Sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, may contribute to grinding. Therefore, addressing this can help to reduce bruxism.
Method #1: Mouth Tape
Using mouth tape has become a popular practice to prevent teeth grinding during sleep since bruxism has been closely associated with mouth breathing.
By preventing mouth breathing, mouth taping encourages nasal breathing which helps to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, promoting rest and relaxation, which can reduce teeth grinding and jaw clenching during sleep. (1)
When your mouth stays closed, it also promotes better oxygen flow and discourages sleep disruptions such as snoring and temporary lapses in breathing. (2)
It’s essential to choose a mouth tape that is both gentle on your skin and lips, while strong enough to stay on all night without the need for readjustments.
Dream Recovery is the best mouth tape for sleeping and the best mouth tape for sleep apnea, thanks to the use of organic bamboo silk that is both incredibly soft, anti-bacterial, and eco-friendly, alongside a specialized hypoallergenic adhesive.
Try Dream Recovery Mouth Tape now.
Learn more here about the benefits of mouth taping for sleep and discover additional ways to train yourself to sleep with your mouth closed.
Method #2: Use a Custom Mouth Guard
While using a mouth guard doesn’t necessarily prevent bruxism at the root cause, it is one of the most effective ways to prevent bruxism from damaging your teeth.
That’s because a mouth guard forms a protective barrier between your top and bottom teeth. This can help to reduce the wear and tear from grinding and long-term dental issues. Wearing a mouth guard regularly may also reduce jaw pain.
For those with severe bruxism, dentists often recommend custom-fitted guards instead of over-the-counter options. Custom-fitted guards are tailored to the shape of your teeth, ensuring optimal comfort and protection throughout the night.
So, for the best results, consult your dentist to get a professionally made guard suited to your unique needs.
Learn more about mouth guards with our article: Do Mouth Guards Help With Snoring?
Method #3: Try Jaw Exercises to Relax Jaw Muscles
Certain jaw exercises can help relax the muscles responsible for clenching, easing tension in your jaw, which is often the root cause of bruxism. Here are some exercises you can try right away:
Jaw stretch:
- Open your mouth wide, as if yawning, until you feel a stretch but no pain.
- Hold for 5-10 seconds and then slowly close your mouth. Repeat 5 times.
Side to side jaw movement:
- Open your mouth slightly and gently move your jaw from side to side.
- Perform for 10-15 repetitions on each side.
Massage your jaw muscles:
- Use your fingers to gently massage the jaw joint (temporomandibular joint) in circular motions for 1-2 minutes.
Jaw relaxation with a warm compress:
- Apply a warm towel to the sides of your jaw for 10-15 minutes to relax the muscles.
-
Follow with slow, gentle jaw movements to maintain relaxation.
Over time, performing these exercises regularly might help to reduce jaw pain, alleviate bruxism symptoms, and prevent damage to your teeth and jaw.
Pairing jaw exercises with a mouth guard or mouth taping can further enhance their effectiveness.
Method #4: Manage Stress with Relaxation Techniques to Stop Grinding
Stress can lead to you to hold a lot of tension in your jaw, making it one of the main causes of bruxism.
Therefore, relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and breathwork can be powerful tools in reducing jaw clenching and teeth grinding.
Deep breathing exercises, in particular, calm the nervous system, helping you unwind and reduce the tension that leads to grinding your teeth at night.
A great exercise to try before bed is the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Here are the steps:
- Inhale for 4 counts
- Hold your breath for 7 counts
- Exhales slowly for 8 counts
- Repeat for at least 3 rounds
Incorporating these types of relaxation practices into your daily routine may help you get out of the fight or flight mode that subconsciously activates jaw clenching and grinding.
Learn more here about mouth breathing vs nose breathing for health.
Method #5: Improve Sleep Hygiene
Establishing good sleep hygiene is essential to reduce bruxism (and improve your overall sleep quality!)
What exactly is good sleep hygiene? It means creating a bedtime routine and environment that is conducive to high quality sleep.
This usually looks like sticking to a consistent bedtime, avoiding screens before bed, ensuring your bedroom is dark and cool, and creating a calming pre-sleep routine.
A healthy sleep environment minimizes disruptions and stressors, making it less likely for you to grind or clench your teeth during the night.
Method #6: Explore Treatments for Sleep Apnea
If your teeth grinding is linked to obstructive sleep apnea, treating the underlying disorder can significantly reduce bruxism symptoms.
Sleep apnea often causes you to clench your jaw or grind your teeth as your body struggles to breathe during the night. A sleep study can help identify sleep apnea, allowing you to explore treatments like CPAP therapy or lifestyle changes.
Read more here about CPAP alternatives for sleep apnea.
It’s important to consult with a healthcare provider if you suspect sleep apnea is contributing to your grinding and clenching. Other symptoms of sleep apnea can include:
- Waking up gasping for air
- Feeling fatigued even after a full night’s sleep
- Frequent headaches
-
Chronic snoring
Method #7: Consult a Dentist for Severe Cases
For individuals with severe bruxism, consulting a dentist is really important! A dentist can diagnose the severity of your condition and recommend treatments such as custom mouth guards, dental realignment, or even physical therapy for your jaw.
If clenching and grinding are causing significant damage to your teeth or impacting your quality of life, professional intervention may be needed to prevent further issues.
Dentists can also help you identify the causes of bruxism and suggest practical solutions, including stress management techniques and jaw exercises. Sometimes they may even inject botox into your masseter muscle to reduce your jaw’s clenching capabilities.
So, if you’re struggling with bruxism symptoms that don’t improve with home remedies, seeking dental care is essential to protect your teeth from long-term damage.
Symptoms of Teeth Grinding
Not sure if you’re struggling with teeth grinding/bruxism? Check out these top symptoms:
- Jaw pain or tightness, especially in the morning
- Headaches
- Increased tooth sensitivity
- Worn down teeth
- Chipped, cracked, or loose teeth
- Sore or tight jaw muscles (may feel like a locked jaw)
- Clicking or popping sounds when moving your jaw
- Indentations on your tongue from clenching
FAQ
How can I stop clenching my jaw when I’m sleeping?
You can stop clenching your jaw when you’re sleeping by practicing stress reduction techniques to ease jaw muscle tension, as well as trying interventions like mouth tape, and mouth guards, improving sleep hygiene, and treating any underlying sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea.
How can I permanently stop grinding my teeth?
To permanently stop grinding you’re teeth you’ll need to get to the root cause of the issue. Teeth grinding or bruxism is usually caused by stress, jaw tension, mouth breathing, or sleep apnea.
Does bruxism go away?
Bruxism can go away if you get to the root cause of the issue. Stress is commonly behind bruxism, so you may notice it flare up during difficult times in your personal life and then decrease when things get easier. Reducing mouth breathing and treating sleep apnea may also help bruxism go away.
What vitamin deficiency is associated with bruxism?
Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with bruxism, potentially due to its role in neuromuscular control and sleep regulation. Low vitamin D levels can also impair calcium absorption, contributing to muscle tension and jaw clenching.
Final Thoughts
Struggling with teeth grinding can sometimes feel out of your control, especially if it’s happening while you’re asleep… But the good news is that relief is possible if you focus on the root cause of your bruxism, experiment with different solutions, and seek professional advice if needed.
Whether you choose mouth taping, a mouth guard, jaw exercises, or professional dental help, these methods can reduce bruxism and improve your sleep quality.
Try Dream Recovery Mouth Tape to protect your teeth, relax your jaw, and enjoy deeper sleep.
References:
-
Watso, Joseph C et al. (2023) Acute nasal breathing lowers diastolic blood pressure and increases parasympathetic contributions to heart rate variability in young adults. American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology.
-
Lee, Yi-Chieh et al. (2022) The Impact of Mouth-Taping in Mouth-Breathers with Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Preliminary Study. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)