Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, sometimes begins as a reaction to stress or anxiety and continues until it becomes a regular habit that escalates at night during sleep.
Here are some reasons why you grind your teeth at night:
STRESS AND ANXIETY
Daily stress and anxiety are top of list of reasons people grind their teeth at night. They can cause grinding during the day too, but it becomes more pronounced at night.
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
Most people probably won’t notice any change in sleep patterns from an occasional drink at night, although regularly drinking several drinks in the evening can increase hyperactive muscle movement and poor sleep leading to bruxism.
CIGARETTE SMOKING
A study found out that people who experienced bruxism (teeth grinding) were over two times more likely to be heavy smokers compared to those who don’t teeth-grind.
SNORING AND SLEEP APNEA
Snoring, sleep apnea (when breathing stops and starts over and over during sleep) and teeth grinding frequently happen together so there might be a correlation.
CAFFEINE
Drinking stuffs loaded with caffeine late in the day or early evening makes it difficult to sleep and increases muscle activity, and therefore can cause grinding while sleeping.
MEDICATIONS
Certain mood disorder medications like antidepressants have been known to increase the symptoms of teeth grinding during sleep.
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