Snoring and Teeth Grinding: Are They Related?

Bruxism, more commonly known as teeth grinding, is a sleep disorder that affects an estimated 8 percent of adults. The condition is typically associated with children, but just because a child grinds their teeth does not mean they will as adults. Alternately, you didn’t have to grind your teeth as a child to do it as an adult. Teeth grinding is also associated with snoring, as well as obstructive sleep apnea, fatigue, stress, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Although occasional teeth grinding is not a big deal, if you suffer frequently, you are more susceptible to earaches, headaches, damaged teeth, and jaw pain. When you combine this with the effects of snoring the combination can have quite an adverse impact on your quality of life.

Underlying Causes

The biggest connection between teeth grinding and snoring is that they have similar underlying causes. There is a very good reason why stress is often called the “silent killer.” It affects you in ways you can’t begin to fully comprehend. Anxiety and nervousness can manifest themselves through grinding teeth and snoring.

Nasal congestion prevents normal breathing, as do nasal polyps, which can contribute to poor sleep quality, teeth grinding, and snoring. Alcohol consumption and being overweight are two key contributors, as well.

Interestingly, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is suggested to be one of the most common connectors.  OSA can cause both snoring and bruxism. Daytime sleepiness offers causes an affected individual to drink high levels of caffeine. High caffeine ingestion puts you at high risk of bruxism. Of course, snoring also deprives you of quality sleep, so you rely on caffeine to get through the day. Since caffeine increases your risk of teeth-grinding, then as a sleep-deprived snorer, you are at higher risk of this disorder, even if OSA is not a factor. So, dealing with the snoring could reduce or eliminate teeth grinding.

Watch this video for tips on how to stop grinding your teeth at night

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