Teeth grinding can be very loud at times. If you are trying to get your solid 8 hours in and your bed partner starts grinding, it can sound as loud as a freight train. Lets face it, many of us find ourselves in multiple stressful situations throughout the day, the daily commute, pressures at work and at home, all of these can contribute to teeth grinding. 

According to the American Dental Association, 95 percent of Americans grind or clench their teeth at some point in their lives, and many of them are not even aware that they are doing it. If your bed partner is complaining that you loudly grind your teeth, chances are very likely that you have bruxism. Nighttime teeth grinding causes jaw pain, headaches, neck and shoulder tension, cracked or broken teeth, and TMJ.

Here are 6 tips to assure that you both get a good night sleep:

1. Establish a soothing bedtime routine. Try a soothing hot bath, silent meditation or a cup of hot chamomile tea. Avoid bright lights and loud noises.
2. Create a cool comfortable sleep environment that is quiet and dark. Keep the room between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Do not keep work-related items such as computers in the bedroom.
4. Wake your partner up if they are teeth grinding and encourage them to try sleeping in a new position – if they sleep on their back, suggest they roll onto their side.
5. Purchase a night grinding guard. It will not stop the grinding, but will protect the teeth and can muffle the grinding sound.
6. As a last resort, you may need to sleep apart to get the rest you need.

Encourage your partner to seek relief from the tensions that cause bruxism. Talking to a psychologist or therapist to develop coping tools for dealing with anxiety can help tremendously. In addition, learned relaxation techniques, such as yoga or meditation can redirect the the stressors of a busy life.

Try any of these 6 pre-bedtime tips. Hopefully, one or more will help, or at least give you a moment to fall asleep before the freight train leaves the station.