After a stressful day at work most of us look forward to a relaxing evening and, when it comes to bedtime, there is nothing better than snuggling up next to your partner; closing the door and drifting off into a cosy peaceful sleep.
But is that how it is for your other half? Many suffers of bruxism, or teeth grinding to you and me, don’t realise they’re suffering. It is usually the partner’s constant sleep disturbance at night that highlights the problem.
Over the last six to nine months there has been a 30% increase in the number of bruxism cases though most suffers claim they are not usually prone to stress. But that is not the only contributor to tooth grinding. A diet of soft foods which we in the West favour is thought to be partially to blame. But with the numbers rising, what is the treatment?
Many couples now follow in the footsteps of The Queen and Prince Phillip by choosing separate beds in order to get a better night sleep. Shelly Harrison 35, and Alex Olejnic, 39 from Essex have slept in separate rooms for over two years and believe it’s the best thing they ever did.
Alex claims sleeping separately has done wonders for their relationship. “Shelly makes a clicking sound when she breathes in her sleep which is like Chinese water torture, and she accuses me of teeth grinding and fidgeting. So when we slept together we used to row a lot about which one kept the other awake. Now we barely have a cross word – and the time we spend cuddling up feels
more special.”
Shelly has admitted that she has never slept well whilst sharing a bed and with their difference in sleeping and work patterns separate rooms has turned out to be the best option for everyone.
Of course sleeping in separate beds doesn’t have to mean you love each other less. In fact recent studies have shown that people who sleep separately claim to have a happier, more loving relationship and a healthier work and life balance.
So can different rooms stop bruxism? In extraordinary cases sleeping next to a partner may be the problem and subsequently stop when you’re in separate beds but there’s no medical proof to support this. A new hobby and relaxation techniques could help reduce your stress level and give you an overall better night sleep. But to start with, the easiest and best advice is to go and see your dentist. Ask for a customised mouth guard for you to wear during the night. That should stop the grinding before you drive your partner into the spare bedroom.