Don't Let Bruxism Grind You Down!
What Is Bruxism? Find Out Now

Written by Hayley Spelman with contributions by Kevin Morton, February 2010

Do you suffer from dull, constant headaches or a sore jaw? Bruxism could be the cause.

What Is Bruxism?

Bruxism is the act of repeated grinding or crunching of the teeth during sleep. This teeth grinding generally creates a noise that can be very disturbing to a bed partner, and over time can really cause some serious tooth wear and decay.

Sound like you? Do you grind your teeth at night? Or maybe you know someone who has bruxism?

Share your thoughts and experiences about bruxism with us and our visitors. We would really love to hear about it!

Bruxism is classified as a parasomnia (one of the two main types of sleep disorders, the other being dyssomnias). Parasomnias are undesirable physical phenomena that occur predominantly during sleep, rather than abnormalities of the processes of sleep themselves, which describes dyssomnias.

In addition to the tooth wear, bruxism is also known to cause periodontal tissue damage, a.k.a. crummy gums. Abnormal bites, missing or crooked teeth are also potential consequences of normal cases. In severe tooth grinding cases, the jaw may even be affected, resulting in hearing loss, causing or worsening of TMD/TMJ (pains on the sides of your face where you jawbone connects), and even a change in the appearance of one's face.

That doesn't sound good.

So is there a solution for bruxism victims?

Well, yes! First and foremost, talk to your dentist about a bruxism mouth guard, which goes over the teeth at night to prevent further dental and jaw damage. This simple solution is likely to save you thousands of dollars in future dental bills.

However, tooth grinding is also often associated with stress. This is the likely culprit in many cases where bruxism occurs in otherwise completely normal sleeping patients. If stress is the issue, relaxation techniques, lifestyle adjustments, psychotherapy, or long wonderful talks with your closest friends can definitely be useful too.

Do You Or Someone You Know Have Bruxism?

Teeth grinding is really no fun. If that statement rings true to your ears in a personal way, we'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences on the matter.

Share your story with the world below--your insight could aid others who can relate to what you have experienced.

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Read Other Bruxism Stories

Click on the links below to read stories of others who have had either personal or secondary experience with the teeth grinding of bruxism. They were all written by other visitors to this page, just like you.

Jaws of Life? 
Hello, I have sleep apnea, alpha intrusion and bruxism . I am very attractive when I go to sleep. CPAP mask and the NTI bite plate from the dentist …

Jo's Teeth Grinding Story... Locking Jaw and Terrible Noise 
I have been grinding my teeth whilst asleep since I can remember - although I didn't always believe it. When I was younger, I had terrible problems with …

Click here to write your own.



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About This Site

Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.

In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?

The Stanford Sleep Book

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Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.

In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.

Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy

More Sleep Resources

The Zeo

Track Your Own Sleep With Zeo

A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.

Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide

Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book

Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.

How This Site Was Made

Kevin Morton With Dr William Dement

In 2007 I discovered a guide to website building that would change my life. After learning from it diligently, it would eventually empower me to help Dr. Dement take his life's mission of spreading education about sleep health to the online world. Now, several years later, this site reaches over 100,000 visitors per month and counting.

The results are due in large part to the methods taught in that guide, and they are replicable for others who have knowledge of a subject they would like to share with the masses. I've detailed some of my journey here for those who might be interested.

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