What can mean gnashing of teeth in a dream

According to statistics, every seventh person on our planet grinds his teeth during sleep. Until now, experts have not found the true cause of this phenomenon. Gnashing of teeth in a dream can be heard from the bedroom of a person who is in a stressful condition, who has any bite defects, or who suffers from a violation of the depth of sleep. What then is the root cause? And how dangerous is this phenomenon, for both children and adults?

Physically, gnashing teeth in a dream is due to the rhythmic contraction of the masticatory muscles, which is accompanied by a low creaking sound. In this case, changes in blood pressure, pulse, respiration and so on are noted. This phenomenon, like bruxism, is noted quite often - about a third of young children. And with increasing their age, this percentage is significantly reduced.

There is a popular sign that the teeth grinding in a dream is a sure sign of the presence of worms in the human body. However, no scientific justification for this opinion has yet been found. One of the working hypotheses, which is considered as an explanation of the cause of the emergence of bruxism, argues that a person can creak in a dream because of some violation of the regulation of its depth. This assumption puts bruxism on a par with such phenomena as somnambulism, snoring in sleep, night enuresis and nightmares, tormenting a person in a dream.

Dentists put forward a completely different explanation of why one can hear the gnashing of teeth in a dream. The reasons, in their opinion, lie in the presence of any problems with the bite, or may be a consequence of an inborn violation of the structure of the jaw apparatus itself. In children under the age of one year, the cause of bruxism may be not only a pathological jaw structure or an incorrect bite, but also a dentition. With cutting teeth, the baby's gums itch. And he, trying to eliminate the itching, involuntarily clenches his jaw.

Most psychologists agree that the cause of bruxism can be a state of stress, whatever it is caused. In a state of stress a person is internally tense, restless, excited even before going to bed. Therefore, gnashing of teeth in a dream can be a continuation of this stressful state at a subconscious level.

This hypothesis is also confirmed by the fact that short-term, about 10 seconds, periods of bruxism in a dream can also occur in perfectly healthy adults whose overall emotional background is positive. The reason for these short bursts of activity of the masticatory muscles can be a return at the subconscious level to some problem that requires resolution.

If the gnashing of teeth in a dream occurs due to stress, then you can get rid of this with the help of anti-stress measures. First of all, you need to eat regularly and limit the amount of carbohydrates and caffeine. Good help to deal with the stress of walking before going to sleep in the fresh air and warm baths with the addition of the corresponding task of relaxing aromatic oils, as well as the competent construction of a work schedule, taking into account the time required for recreation. All this in aggregate will allow to prevent physical and nervous-psychological overload of the organism.

And, finally, the cause of bruxism may be a lack of calcium, magnesium and B vitamins, which increases the spasms of muscles at rest. In particular, this has to do with the state of the chewing muscles during sleep. In this case, bruxism can be completely eliminated by taking the appropriate vitamin and mineral complexes.

How serious are the consequences of bruxism? In addition to the unpleasant sound coming from the bedroom, interfering with the rest of people around, this phenomenon can lead to the erasure of tooth enamel, bite defects, the appearance of pain in the muscles of the face, and also to headache. Therefore, if the gnashing of teeth in a dream is seen in your child or in one of the relatives living with you, do not hesitate to contact specialists to solve this problem.