Why am I grinding my teeth at night?
Short answer: Night grinding — bruxism — is usually driven by stress, sleep disturbance including sleep apnoea, and some medications. Most people do not know they do it until a dentist shows them the wear. It cannot reliably be stopped, but the damage can be prevented with a custom nightguard.
How to tell, if nobody has told you
- Waking with a tight or aching jaw, or with headaches around the temples
- Teeth that look flattened, or front teeth shortening over the years
- Increasing sensitivity to cold
- Small chips along the biting edges
- Fillings that keep breaking or falling out
- A ridge of raised tissue along the inside of the cheek, or a scalloped edge to the tongue
- A partner who has heard it
A dentist can usually tell within seconds by the wear pattern, which is why this often gets picked up at a routine check rather than reported.
What causes it
Stress is the best-known driver, and the one people recognise.
Sleep-disordered breathing is the one that gets missed. There is a well-recognised association between bruxism and obstructive sleep apnoea. If you also snore heavily, wake unrefreshed, or have been told you stop breathing in your sleep, that is worth raising with a doctor — treating the sleep problem sometimes reduces the grinding, and it matters well beyond your teeth.
Medications and stimulants. Some antidepressants, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and recreational stimulants all increase it.
What actually helps
The honest position: there is no reliable way to stop grinding during sleep, because it is not a conscious behaviour. What works is protecting the teeth and reducing the drivers.
- A custom nightguard. The most effective single measure. It does not stop the grinding; it puts a replaceable layer between your teeth. See nightguards.
- Address the sleep side if there is any suggestion of apnoea.
- Cut evening caffeine and alcohol. Alcohol in particular worsens it.
- Stop daytime clenching. Teeth apart at rest — this is trainable, and it reduces muscle load.
Left alone, years of grinding wears teeth down, and rebuilding a worn dentition is among the most expensive work in dentistry. A guard is dramatically cheaper than what it prevents.
Common questions
How do I know if I grind my teeth at night?
Common signs are waking with an aching jaw or temple headaches, flattened or chipping teeth, increasing cold sensitivity, and fillings that keep failing. A dentist can usually identify it from the wear pattern.
Can teeth grinding be cured?
Not reliably, because it happens during sleep and is not a conscious behaviour. The damage is preventable with a custom nightguard, and reducing drivers such as alcohol, evening caffeine and untreated sleep apnoea can lessen it.
Is grinding related to sleep apnoea?
There is a well-recognised association. If you snore heavily, wake unrefreshed, or have been told you stop breathing during sleep, it is worth raising with a doctor — it matters well beyond your teeth.
Will a nightguard stop me grinding?
No. It protects your teeth from the grinding rather than preventing it. That is still the most effective thing available, because it stops the irreversible wear.