Expert: Susan Tannenbam - 12/31/2006

Question
Why do I grit my teeth when I sleep so loud that I wake my husband up everynight and he never sleeps in the bed with me more than 2 hrs a nite because I start gritting my teeth so bad and loud he cannot even wake me up, my teeth are not sore and I would never know I do this if he did not tell me, but he does not get any sleep at night but on couch where he can still hear me just not so loud. thanks,carole

Answer
I am not a dentist but I do have TMJ which is pain around the jaw joint due to clenching and grinding in one's sleep.  It is very common for people to do this and not be aware of it, but it doesn't always cause problems except for the person one is sleeping with. Other people get a lot of pain from it (like me).  , and it must be treated.  I really cannot answer "why" you do this.  A lot has to do with tension, but I'm not sure if this is true of everyone who does it.  I wear a nightguard to protect my teeth and it also relieves any pain the grinding might cause.  You might want to ask a dentist who deals with TMJ if a nighthguard would stop the sound that occurs when you grind.  He should also double check to make sure you are not causing the teeth to wear down.  A nightguard would protect you from this also.