Many of us have experienced teeth grinding while sleeping in ourselves or our loved ones. According to statistics, approximately 8% of the adult population and 15–20% of primary and school-age children grind their teeth at night. And if a person can control himself during the day, then at night in a dream everything happens involuntarily. Why do they grind their teeth in their sleep? Is this phenomenon dangerous, and is it possible to get rid of it? Let's talk.
What kind of illness is this?
Bruxism is the medical term for teeth grinding. Grinding of teeth occurs involuntarily, and often a person himself does not notice such grinding of teeth. People usually learn about nocturnal bruxism from relatives.
In order to find out what is the cause of teeth grinding during sleep in adults, the doctor may recommend electromyography. During this procedure, special sensors are attached to the patient’s face, which should record the electrical potentials of the person’s facial muscles. Doctors are primarily interested in those areas that are directly responsible for chewing.
Even before visiting a doctor, a person can observe his body and see the problem on his own:
- For example, in adults this can manifest itself as deformation of the masticatory organs. After a night's sleep, ulcers and wounds may appear on the inner surface of the cheeks.
- Another sign that a person grinds their teeth at night is the worn surface of the teeth.
- A person may also feel discomfort in the jaw area, neck pain, etc.
Causes
The reasons why people grind their teeth in their sleep can be different:
- Nervous overstrain or stressful situations that accumulate during the day, and at night find release in the form of teeth grinding in sleep. In this way, our body expresses accumulated negative emotions, which dominate a person at a subconscious level.
- Habit. If clenching your teeth during the day is a common thing for you, then do not be surprised that your body continues to clench them at night, resulting in creaking. The habit of chewing a pen or pencil can lead to the same result.
- Drinking alcoholic beverages. The body, when it relaxes too much, may cease to control certain muscle groups. In this case, these are the jaw muscles, which lead to the fact that a person grinds his teeth at night.
- Dental anomalies, including missing teeth or malocclusion.
- Huntington's or Parkinson's disease.
- Sleep disturbances, such as frequent awakenings for no apparent reason or shallow sleep.
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Grinding teeth in a dream may seem like a harmless thing. However, it can lead to negative consequences:
- Erasure of tooth enamel and problems with them.
- Headaches can often occur due to tension in the neck muscles.
- Excessive clenching of the jaw can cause the muscles to simply not be able to relax.
Why does parquet squeak?
The use of natural wood in the manufacture of parquet planks leaves its mark. Due to the absence of composite materials in its composition, parquet does not tolerate temperature and humidity fluctuations. The boards expand, swell, become deformed, and unpleasant squeaks occur when using the floor covering. This is just one of the possible options. There are others, including creaking under excessive mechanical loads:
- cracks on the parquet plank;
- through splitting of parquet flooring;
- fracture of the fixing ridge;
- loose connection during installation;
- the appearance of cavities between the parquet and the screed;
- absence or insufficient technological gap between the floor covering and the wall.
Some of the problems can be detected by visual inspection of the floor surface, others by mechanical pressure and localization of the problem area. Most cases can be resolved with minor intervention. However, the need to completely dismantle the floor is also not uncommon.
Let's look at the most popular solutions to eliminate unpleasant squeaks.
Worms and night teeth grinding
You can often hear
version that if a person sleeps and grinds his teeth, then he has worms. Especially when it comes to a child. This myth arose due to the assumption that parasites living in the human body contribute to the active secretion of saliva. And this, in turn, leads to involuntary movement of the jaws, and teeth begin to grind during sleep.
However, this theory has not received scientific confirmation. In fact, the presence or absence of worms and teeth grinding are completely unrelated to each other.
How to eliminate squeaking in a bed with lifting mechanisms
What should I do if beds equipped with a lifting mechanism make sounds? In such a situation, it is recommended to proceed in the same way as with screeds. You will need to remove the structure and apply an insulating lubricant, such as WD-40, to the fasteners and holes under them. After returning the clamps to their proper place, you will need to tighten them well. In case of urgent need, the bolts are equipped with special gaskets.
In some cases, it is enough to lubricate the mechanism.
If the breakdown occurs directly in the mechanism, and the lifting structures emit a characteristic creaking sound, you will need to seek help from a professional mechanic or completely replace them.
Sometimes it is better to seek help from a specialist.
This article discussed the main ways to get rid of the unpleasant creaking of wooden beds. We hope that all the information offered will be useful and useful if such problems arise.
What can the disease lead to?
Even the smallest problem that appears in our body cannot be ignored. And even more so if a person grinds his teeth at night when he sleeps. After all, sometimes this can indicate serious problems, which will then be very difficult to get rid of.
This disease in adults can lead to the development of caries, tooth sensitivity and other oral diseases that do not always respond well to treatment. If people grind their teeth in their sleep for a long period of time, their teeth will wear down significantly. The same thing happens with dentures. In this case, the edge of the gum can move greatly.
If the teeth are clenched all the time and the muscles are tense, then the head of the jaw joint along with the disc may shift. When a person grinds his teeth in his sleep, he may experience respiratory arrest. Therefore, it is very important to know how you can get rid of the disease.
If someone grinds their teeth in their sleep,
he will definitely be advised to treat mental disorders, since bruxism occurs due to the fact that a person, even in a state of sleep, cannot completely relax and properly rest. In such cases, depression may begin to develop, both in the patient himself and in his loved ones. After all, few people can calmly listen to such sounds every night. Most often, men suffer from grinding their teeth in their sleep. If you notice that your husband grinds his teeth, find out what you need to do to get rid of it.
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Preventing laminate flooring from squeaking
By following these simple recommendations, you can further prevent the appearance of extraneous sounds:
- It only costs to buy flooring from trusted manufacturers.
- The substrate must have a rigid structure and a thickness of 3 mm.
- Preparatory measures should not be ignored; the base must be thoroughly cleaned of particles of dust, dirt and other debris.
- Before installation, the laminate should lie in the room where the floor renovation is planned for several days.
- It is imperative to leave enough free space between the panels and the wall.
- Control the humidity level and temperature in the room.
How to deal with bruxism
We explained why they grind their teeth at night. Now we’ll tell you how to get rid of grinding your teeth in your sleep:
If you walk around clenching your teeth all day, then you need to learn to relax. For this:
- Try loading your jaws throughout the day. To do this, chew hard foods - crackers, crackers, carrots, etc.
- Make sure that your jaws are not clenched all the time. And in order not to forget about this, you can post reminder notes wherever you often go.
- A warm compress can help relax your jaw. To do this, apply a towel soaked in warm water to the attachment point of the lower jaw. Sit like that for a while.
- A mouthguard will help protect your teeth from abrasion while you sleep. You can buy it at any sporting goods store.
- To protect your tooth enamel, use a strengthening gel or remineralizing toothpaste.
It is worth noting that if you still grind your teeth at night, then do not start restorative procedures. Find out how to stop grinding in your sleep, get rid of the problem, and only then take care of the aesthetic appearance of your oral cavity.
If, to the question: “why do I grind my teeth in my sleep,” you are sure that the answer is related to psychological or emotional stress, then this means that you should pay attention to the following measures:
- Avoid any foods and drinks that stimulate the nervous system: strong tea, coffee, alcohol, nicotine, etc. All this excites the nervous system, which is why a person may grind their teeth at night.
- To calm down, you can use traditional methods: take a warm bath, drink a cup of chamomile tea, or take a mild herbal sedative. A relaxing massage is no less effective.
- Try to distribute the entire load evenly throughout the day. Don't juggle everything at once and don't be shy about asking others for help. Try to adequately assess your capabilities.
In very serious cases, the patient may be prescribed Botox injections or even hypnosis if all other treatment methods have failed.
USEFUL INFORMATION: Why does a person flinch in his sleep?
Eliminating squeaky laminate flooring without disassembling it
There are situations when it is possible to eliminate extraneous sounds without completely or partially dismantling the floor covering. One of these methods is to treat laminate boards (locking elements) with a regular paraffin candle. You need to light it and, when the paraffin begins to melt, lubricate the seams with drops. Without leaving it for long, you need to rub the wax with a thin plastic spatula.
Advice! You can lubricate the laminate to prevent it from squeaking with a special sealant: Aqua Stop, Bostik Clic Protect.
If it has been determined that the creaking comes from the slats located along the walls, then you first need to remove the baseboard, and then pour PVA glue into the joints or use polyurethane foam.
PVA glue - a simple solution to the problem
You can pump the adhesive composition into the hole made in the slats if the problem area is in the center of the room. The main thing here when drilling is not to touch the base. The diameter of the recess should be 0.6 mm. The treated area should dry well within two days. After this, this place is plastered.
Another way is to use self-tapping screws with small heads. The hole diameter should not be less than 6 mm. The length is selected taking into account the thickness of the panels.
You can watch the video to see how to eliminate squeaking laminate flooring without disassembling it:
Folk remedies
The most common reason that a person begins to grind his jaw while sleeping is a stressful state or psycho-emotional overstrain. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is learn to relax.
Various folk remedies are excellent for this:
- decoctions of medicinal herbs (valerian, motherwort, chamomile, etc.),
- relaxing massage,
- bath with aroma oils,
- long walks in the fresh air before bedtime,
- reading quiet books,
- ventilate the room, as it is better to sleep in a cool and damp room.
