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Re:Ask HN: Has anyone fixed their own bruxism? by madaxe_again on Sunday June 28, 2020 @04:29AM (#23667470)
I had trouble for years with both sleep apnoea and bruxing in my sleep.

I tried all sorts, from mouthguards to oximeter alarms, and nothing really helped, if anything, they generally worsened my sleep - I'm a light sleeper at the best of times.

A visit to the doctor revealed that I was pre-diabetic, and he advised that I shed some weight - I was 250lbs, and I brought myself down to 180lbs over about six months.

The sleep apnoea and bruxism both went away with the weight, and a decade on, haven't returned. I suspect that the additional weight was making my airway collapse in the night, and that would then result in me bruxing as I quietly asphyxiated in my sleep, before I'd wake up gasping in a puddle of sweat.

I had thought for the longest time that the root cause was stress, and that it was therefore untreatable without major lifestyle changes which weren't tenable at the time - but the stress went on for years after I lost the weight, without bruxing or apnoea. I suppose, at root, the stress was the cause, as I sure as hell comfort ate my way out of my misery and into size 40 jeans.

I do, once in a blue moon, still do the choke and grind routine, but it's usually only if I've gone to bed really quite drunk.

Obviously this isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, as sleep apnoea and bruxism can be brought about by any number of causes, but this was a solution for me, and might be for others who are in the same situation I was in.

Re:Ask HN: Has anyone fixed their own bruxism? by hownottowrite on Sunday June 28, 2020 @06:21AM (#23667846)
Congratulations on the dedication to lose the weight and maintain the loss.

I’m a grinder myself and my weight yo-yos between 200-250LB. My grinding is definitely related to weight. If my BMI is below 25%, the grinding stops. Pop back up and it starts again.

Stress plays a role in daytime clenching but it is far less when I’m in better shape.