How to Stop Grinding My Teeth While I'm Sleeping

Teeth-grinding, or bruxism, is a disorder that occurs most frequently at night while you are asleep. It can be caused by triggers such as stress or abnormal lining of the teeth. Whatever the cause, teeth-grinding can result in cracked or fractured teeth, and you can potentially develop gum diseases and other jaw problems. Preventing teeth-grinding can be done by following a short series of steps.

Instructions

• 1

  Make an appointment with your dentist, who can make you a custom mouthpiece that you can wear while you're sleeping to prevent grinding.

• 2

  Ask your dentist to file down the spots in your teeth that are unaligned so your teeth cannot grind against one another. However, in some cases, your dentist might advise against this if you already have dental problems.

• 3

  Hold a warm, damp cloth next to your jaw to help relax the muscles.

• 4

  Reduce stress in your life. According to the Mayo Clinic, this can help you prevent nighttime grinding by eliminating the potential cause. Before bed, put on some soothing music or take a warm bath. Exercise may also help reduce your stress. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime if you have trouble sleeping.