If the problem of bruxism isn’t severe, you can treat yourself at home following the advices below.
1. Reduce your stress. Stress is one major cause of teeth grinding, so you should aim to relieve your stress. You can relieve the stress in your life by attending stress counseling, exercising, or meditating. Here are some other ways to reduce your stress:
✿ Eliminate any major sources of stress in your life. If you’re stressed out because of an unbearable roommate or a terrible relationship, it’s time to get these negative sources out of your life and move on.
✿ Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. This will give you more energy to deal with your daily life.
✿ Have fun with friends. Make time to laugh, be silly, and just do nothing with your friends. This will help you unwind.
✿ Eat well. Eating three well-balanced and healthy meals each day will make you feel more balanced and less irritable.
2. Remove caffeine from your diet. Stop drinking soda, coffee, and energy drinks and try not to eat too much chocolate. Caffeine is a stimulant which will make it more difficult for you to relax your mind and the muscles of your jaw, especially at night.
3. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant which will make it more difficult for you to sleep healthily. Teeth grinding tends to get worse after alcohol consumption. Though alcohol may make it easier for you to fall asleep, it will make you sleep a less restful, more shallow sleep, which will increase your teeth grinding.
4. Stop chewing on non-foods. Stop yourself from stress-related habits that have to do with your mouth. For example, if you tend to chew on pencils or pens when you are stressed out, you should eliminate that habit.[9]If this is particularly challenging, you can chew gum or suck on a mint whenever you have the urge to chew on non-foods, and slowly wean yourself off of them.
5. Train yourself not to clench your jaw during the day. If you notice that your jaw is tense or that your teeth are gritted together, practice relaxing the jaw by placing the tip of your tongue between your teeth.
6. Add calcium and magnesium supplements to your diet. Calcium and magnesium are necessary for muscle function and nervous system health. If you don’t have enough, you can have problems with clenching, tension, and other muscle problems.
7. Relax before bed. It is important to reduce stress before bed so that you’re more relaxed during the night and therefore less likely to grind your teeth. Here are some ways to relax before bed and have a more restful sleep:
✿ Massage the muscles in your neck, shoulders, and face before you go to sleep.Use your fingers and palms to massage the sides of your head, forehead and jaw in calming circular motions.
✿ Soak a washcloth in hot water and hold it against your cheek in front of your earlobe. This will help your muscles to relax and unclench.
✿ Take a warm washcloth and hold it over your whole face. This will both help your muscles relax and put you in a calmer state of mind.
✿ Turn on soothing music or white noise to help achieve a calm state of mind as you drift off to sleep.
✿ Read in bed for at least half an hour before you sleep. This will help you get ready for sleep.
✿ Turn off the television, computer, and any bright lights at least an hour before bed. Minimize your sensory experience before you fall asleep.
Thanks for the information: wikihow.com
