How does your child sleep!? Author of the article: pediatric neurologist, candidate of medical sciences, associate professor Marulina Valentina Ivanovna.

Chewing or grinding of teeth in a child

Chewing or smacking in sleep is an uncontrolled contraction of the oral masticatory muscles, accompanied by a sharp clenching of the jaws, grinding of teeth, smacking, excessive salivation, creaking and other symptoms. In medicine, this problem is called “bruxism.”

The period of time during which a person chews can range from a few seconds to 5-10 minutes. Typically, during the entire sleep phase, several episodes of pathology can be noticed. If one episode lasts more than 15 seconds, cracks and chips in the teeth and soft tissue injuries may occur.

Experts have linked a variety of slurping sounds, chewing, and teeth grinding to other sleep disorders. They accompany somnambulism, snoring, urinary incontinence at night, and the occurrence of nightmares. The popular version attributes the symptoms of bruxism to infection with worms. However, in reality, night sounds of teeth and the presence of parasites in the body are in no way connected.

Most often, manifestations of bruxism, when a person periodically swallows saliva, grinds teeth, smacks or chews, are associated with psycho-emotional disorders, for example, depression, stress, mental overload. Excessively active activities before bedtime, overexcitation, growing internal anxiety, and general tension provoke restless sleep.

If the episodes last no more than 10 seconds and occur 1-2 times per night, then this may not indicate any disease, but simply be an individual feature.

This is especially true for young children, who are often subject to reflexes, and chewing at night is a kind of continuation of the sucking instinct or may indicate the child’s hunger.

Diagnosis and treatment of bruxism in children

The fact that a child suffers from teeth grinding is noticed by the parents themselves or close relatives. But to confirm the diagnosis, a special polysomnographic study is required. It allows you to record the presence of involuntary contractions of the masticatory muscles and is important for excluding epilepsy, as one of the possible hidden causes of the disorder.

A dentist can also determine the presence of burxism. To do this, an examination of the oral cavity is carried out, and if necessary, a bruxchecker is used - a special mouth guard, selected individually. It is inserted into the mouth while you sleep at night, after which it is given to the dentist for examination. Based on the nature of the damage to the mouth guard, it determines the places where the teeth are subjected to the greatest load during sleep.

Since it is extremely difficult to accurately determine the cause of the disorder, an integrated approach to its treatment is most effective.

Let's talk in more detail about the methods of treating bruxism in children, used by specialists in various branches of medicine:

• psychotherapeutic – meditation, auto-training, relaxation training, reducing stress levels, mastering self-control techniques, etc.;
• dental – consultations with specialized specialists (periodontist, orthodontist), correction of bite defects and correct selection of braces, timely replacement of deformed fillings;
• medications - taking calcium, magnesium, B vitamins, sedatives and hypnotics, Botox injections and other medications that help reduce the activity of the masticatory muscles;
• physiotherapeutic: relaxing massage, facial gymnastics, compresses.

For those who are trying to decide for themselves the question of how to treat bruxism in children, the following measures can also be recommended:

• wearing protective overlays on the teeth (mouthguards), which prevent the contact of the upper and lower teeth in the event of involuntary closure of the jaws during sleep;
• additional load on the jaws before bedtime: invite the child to chew an apple or carrot an hour before bedtime; sometimes chewing gum is also used for this;
• warm compresses on the cheekbones for 10-15 minutes twice a day to help relieve pain;
• self-control - teach your child to ensure that when the mouth is closed, the upper and lower teeth do not touch.

If you observe frequent and prolonged bouts of bruxism in your child, be sure to consult a doctor. Among the serious consequences of this disorder, doctors identify damage and premature loss of teeth, hearing impairment, and the appearance of asymmetry in the face. Don't wait for them to appear.

Reasons for chewing in your sleep

A person chews in his sleep for several reasons:

1. Features of the psyche of young children. Children handle emotional stress and stress differently. Even some positive emotions, but excessive ones, can manifest themselves as nighttime symptoms of bruxism. In this case, the child should be shown to a neurologist to exclude possible pathologies of the central nervous system.
2. Teething or changing milk teeth to molars . This process is often accompanied by discomfort, pain, and itching. A sleeping baby literally wants to scratch his gums, but does not control himself in his sleep, so he chews or grinds his teeth.
3. Various orthodontic pathologies - malocclusion, diseases of the jaw joints, abnormal structure - can lead to the fact that the baby seems to chew food not only in his sleep, but also during daylight hours.
4. Another reason why people suffer from bruxism is heredity . The risk of its manifestation in children increases if a similar pathology is observed in one of the parents.
5. Nightmarish dreams. Too much stress during a night's rest can cause unconscious movements of various muscles, which is manifested not only by grinding, but also by moving the tongue in sleep, twitching of the arms and legs, blinking, and tics.
6. Nasal congestion , enlarged adenoids and other disturbances in normal breathing cause anxiety and overly active work of the facial muscles.
7. Manifestations of bruxism are accompanied by a deficiency of magnesium, calcium, amino acids and B vitamins, which affect the functioning of the central nervous system and muscles.
8. Insufficient development of jaw muscles . A newborn baby must be fed only with milk or formula, and from 6 months it is necessary to introduce complementary foods, constantly changing the structure of dishes. If a child primarily eats pureed or blended food, the jaw muscles do not work. If there is no load, grinding or chewing may occur during sleep.

In the presence of helminths, it is indeed possible that such a symptom may occur, but it is not caused by the presence of parasites as such, but by general discomfort in the body, intoxication, which makes sleep restless and intermittent.

Diagnostics

Most children who have this problem during night or daytime sleep do not even know about it. Therefore, most often, parents diagnose the problem.

Some signs:

• Teeth grinding when your baby sleeps;
• Complaints of pain in the face or jaw after waking up in the morning;
• Pain when chewing.

If you experience any of these signs, contact your dentist to examine your mouth for wear and damage. Spray air and water on teeth to test sensitivity.

If damage is found, the dentist may ask your child several questions, such as:

• How do you feel before bed?
• Are you worried about anything at home or at school?
• Are you angry with someone?
• What do you do before bed?

The exam will help the dentist understand whether the cause is anatomical (misaligned teeth) or psychological (stress). Select an effective treatment plan.

Treatment

Smacking in your sleep is not considered a pathology and does not threaten your health. Rather, this problem is not the sleeper himself, but his environment. There are several secrets that will help solve the problem of teeth movement and grinding:

1. Try to organize your child’s activities in such a way that he does not experience too strong emotions, including positive ones. Protect him from stress, family quarrels, too active evening games, cartoons and computer games with a scary plot.
2. If a child slurps regularly and often (more than 5-7 episodes per night), show him to specialists - a pediatrician, neurologist, somnologist. The cause of night grinding in adolescents may be vegetative-vascular disorders, which are accompanied by headaches and fluctuations in blood pressure.
3. It is also necessary to exclude the viral load on the body and check for worms. If, in addition to manifestations of bruxism, the child is pale, inactive, has a disturbance in appetite and bowel movements, basic tests - urine and blood - will be required.
4. Sometimes children chew because of an uncomfortable bed, scratchy bedding, stale dry air, or high temperature in the bedroom. Be sure to ventilate before going to bed, adjust the humidity to 50–70%.
5. You can come up with evening rituals that will help your baby calm down faster. Swimming, listening to audio books, fairy tales, and some calm games, such as board games, are suitable.

If such symptoms are caused by a pathological condition or some disease, medications are selected only by a doctor. If a pathology is diagnosed, treatment will not be aimed at eliminating grinding or chewing, but at the root cause.

Why is night bruxism dangerous?

Should parents worry and take some measures if their baby grinds his teeth in his sleep? Yes, if:

• Child's age over 7 years

Most often, teeth grinding during sleep occurs in young children, and by the age of seven it usually goes away without a trace. If the child has already gone to school, but the problem remains, it’s time to take measures to eliminate it.

• A large number of repetitions of this condition are recorded or attacks last more than 15 seconds

In these cases, unpleasant sounds made by teeth during sleep may indicate serious disorders in the activity of the nervous system. The sooner the diagnosis is made and treatment is prescribed, the greater the chance of avoiding the disease becoming chronic.

• There are signs of tooth decay or gum inflammation

If you do not take action in a timely manner, you may face much more serious problems: gum disease, premature loss of baby teeth, and malocclusion.

Bruxism becomes especially dangerous when baby teeth are replaced by permanent teeth. It can cause diseases that will lead to the loss of permanent teeth at an early age.

Doctors do not consider bruxism a health-threatening disorder, especially if we are talking specifically about nighttime teeth grinding. It usually goes away with age without any treatment.

If you want to help your baby cope with the problem before he outgrows it, then first consult a dentist.

Why does a child swallow air?

When a child is in a hurry and eats quickly, parents can observe that excess air gets in with the baby's food. As a result, the baby becomes restless and tearful.

The reasons for swallowing air during feeding may be the following:

Why is the child breathing heavily?

Until a month old, a baby's breathing always occurs unevenly. This is considered the norm. As well as gurgling and wheezing. Mothers often worry about why the newborn is breathing heavily after bottle feeding. There is no particular reason for concern here.

Causes of Bruxism

There are several theories about the appearance of bruxism in adults. Psychological theory attaches great importance to the emotional state of a person in the development of the disease. Thus, factors favoring the development of bruxism may be the following:

• stress;
• high psycho-emotional stress;
• social and everyday disorder, troubles;
• frequent affective states.

The disease is called the disease of businessmen. People who undergo high psycho-emotional stress and take on great responsibility experience tension, which leads to involuntary muscle spasms during sleep. But it is important to understand that positive-minded patients can also suffer from this disease.

According to the neurogenic theory, the causes of bruxism in adults lie in disruption of the central and peripheral nervous system. This leads to neurological and movement disorders, muscle spasms. The validity of this theory is confirmed by the fact that, along with bruxism, sleep disorders (apnea, snoring, somnambulism) are often observed; tremor, epilepsy, enuresis - bedwetting. Tonic muscle tension can also be associated with damage to the trigeminal nerve.

Dental theory is based on the assumption that bruxism develops as a result of disturbances in the structure and function of the dental system. These include the following:

• bite defects;
• incorrect position of teeth;
• supernumerary teeth;
• crowded teeth;
• violation of the integrity of the dentition (partial adentia);
• incorrectly selected dentures and orthodontic structures;
• overestimation of fillings according to the bite;
• diseases of the temporomandibular joint.

Dental diseases lead to uneven distribution of the chewing load, and therefore the chewing muscles do not work properly. Her overexertion leads to nighttime cramps.

According to osteopathic theory, muscle contraction is an attempt by the neuromuscular system to eliminate blockage of the cranial sutures and restore craniosacral rhythm. This may be the result of birth trauma, malocclusion and posture, diseases of the cervical spine, etc.

Other theories about the origin of bruxism are not widely accepted, but some researchers link the problem to impaired nasal breathing, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), parasitosis, frequent chewing of plates or pads, and other factors.

In any case, the causes of bruxism in an adult can be different, so it is difficult to do without a comprehensive diagnosis and the involvement of several specialized specialists.

Ask a Question

The baby smacks his lips when feeding. Why does a child smack his lips and should he be concerned?

It is always difficult at first for new parents to understand what their baby wants from them. As a rule, they just start trying everything in turn: changing the diaper, feeding the baby, helping him burp, putting him to bed. But if you know about simple baby signals and their meaning, it will be much easier for you to calm your baby, and he will be much less fussy. Next we will talk about how babies behave, what signals they give to us adults when they are hungry, tired or want to play.

If the child is hungry

If your baby is hungry and crying, it means that the stage when he wanted to eat and tried to tell you about it has long passed. It is much easier to feed a slightly hungry child who is still calm than one who is already fussy about it. Expect signals from a newborn that he is hungry every 1-2 hours, from a slightly older child - every 3-4 hours. Here are what these signals usually look like: Yawns, opens mouth;

Smacks lips or makes sucking noises;

Puts his fist in his mouth;

Moves eyes quickly in sleep;

Most babies use the same signals, so once you know what to look for, you'll know when your baby is telling you he's hungry.

If the child is tired and wants to sleep

It's easy to tell when your baby is tired and sleepy at first because babies typically eat and then fall asleep. However, as children get older, they may stay awake longer, making it harder to determine whether they are sleepy. Some babies follow a schedule and sleep at almost the same time every day. Others don’t, and then mom and dad must understand when the child gets tired. You can do this by the following signs: Rubbing your eyes or yawning;

Ignores your attempts to distract him.

It is important that when your baby starts to show signs that he is tired and wants to sleep, you react quickly, as an overtired baby will be much more difficult to put to sleep.

If the child wants to play

Believe it or not, there will be times when your baby will need nothing more than your attention. By paying attention to your child from a very early age, you will help him quickly learn how to behave correctly in adulthood - in a word, make the upbringing process easier for yourself. Here are some signals that may indicate that a child wants to play: Freezes when looked at;

Looks carefully at your face, looks into your eyes;

Opens his eyes wide and carefully follows your movements;

Give your child attention by getting down to his level and playing with toys or reading a book. If you are currently busy with something (for example, preparing dinner), give your baby attention by telling him what you are doing or responding to how he plays or what he does.

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New sounds that a baby makes are always a reason for joy for every mother. But if the baby clicks during feeding, this may indicate frenulum defects and improper attachment to the breast. This behavior of the baby alarms many women, especially if he behaves restlessly at this time.

Short bridle

If your baby clicks his tongue while bottle feeding or breastfeeding, this may indicate a short frenulum. This is the name given to the physiological feature when the frenulum is attached to the edge of the tongue. This causes incorrect grip, because the baby’s tongue movements are limited. For these children, it takes a little longer to get full and they begin to lose weight.

Only a highly qualified pediatric dentist can tell whether a child’s frenulum is short or long. If it is short and not elastic, the doctor suggests trimming it. This procedure is performed in a dentist's office for a short time. You do not have to go to the hospital with your child, since after the procedure you can go home straight away.

In the first days of his life, the baby sucks up to 30 ml of milk. While he eats, he learns to distribute his breathing, control the entire process, tries to swallow and suck correctly. However, all this is quite complicated and the child swallows air when feeding from a bottle, which accumulates in the ventricle and causes pain.

Prevention

The most important preventive measure against wasp bites is not to cause aggression through sudden movements when an insect approaches. If a wasp is chasing you, you need to stop in one place and not move. If possible, avoid sweet treats in nature; wasps flock to tasty smells.

When going on vacation, pay attention to appearance and aroma: excessively bright clothes decorated with rhinestones and sequins will undoubtedly attract the attention of winged ones; the smell of perfume can cause aggression. You should avoid places where wasps gather in large numbers and do not touch the hives. If your body is overly sensitive to insect bites, carry anti-allergy medications in your purse.

Physical discomfort

The first and most common reason why a child does not sleep well at night is uncomfortable sleeping conditions: hot or cold, dry or too damp air, “scratchy” synthetic bedding or uncomfortable pajamas, a heavy blanket, a crumpled lumpy bed, a wet or dirty diaper.

How to proceed:

• create a healthy microclimate in the sleeping room - with a temperature of 18-20 ºС and a humidity of 50-70%;
• choose cozy cotton pajamas according to the season - warm or light;
• make and carefully straighten bedding made of natural material before going to bed;
• if necessary, change the mattress, blanket or pillow to a more comfortable one, preferably made from hypoallergenic materials;
• Use high-quality diapers and change them promptly.

The second reason in this group is pain of various origins. This may include colic or painful teething in infants, aching muscles and joints during rapid growth in older children. Infants cannot talk about their sensations, other children complain of pain, but sometimes it is quite difficult to “calculate” its cause and clear localization.

How to proceed:

• if a baby has colic, the nursing mother should reconsider her diet and select a suitable formula for the artificial one;
• massage itchy gums when teething with a chilled teether or a finger wrapped in gauze; if necessary, apply an anesthetic gel;
• Relaxing baths and light massages at night help to cope with muscle pain in children;
• Pain of unknown origin requires consultation with a pediatrician.

The third reason is childhood illnesses, especially with high fever. Often, sleep disturbances indicate the onset of the disease. Some children literally “fall asleep,” while others cannot fall asleep, rush around, worry, and constantly wake up.

How to proceed:

• go to the doctor;
• During treatment, alleviate the child’s condition in every possible way: give an antipyretic when the temperature rises above 380C, provide clean, fresh and moist air in the room and rest for the baby.

The fourth reason is thirst, hunger or excessive heaviness in the stomach.

How to proceed:

• Children under one year old can “legally” wake up for night feedings; denser feedings at night and maintaining a comfortable microclimate in the room help reduce their number - this way the baby will not wake up from thirst. The latter is important for any child;
• For older children, offer a light but quite filling dinner without invigorating drinks - cola, strong tea, cocoa;
• Follow your meal schedule.

The fifth reason why a child sleeps poorly at night is allergies, digestive and metabolic disorders. Most often, this is an allergic reaction to salicylates, an upset stomach after eating unusual or stale foods for dinner, or manifestations of a lack of calcium in the child’s body.

How to proceed:

• carefully analyze your child’s diet and remove everything that causes a negative reaction;
• as an experiment, temporarily exclude salicylates - food additives with tartrazine E 102, citrus fruits, tomatoes;
• to check whether the child receives enough calcium, you can give it to the child in tablets in a prophylactic dose - this often improves sleep and is especially important if the baby receives a lot of vitamin D, which requires a combination with calcium.

What to do if a child swallows air?

There are two ways to help your baby:

When the baby swallows air while feeding from a bottle and stops eating, pick him up, hold him, let him burp, continue to feed him.

Whenever your baby finishes eating, give him the opportunity to burp. Air masses will then stop collecting in the ventricle, and the baby will not show anxiety.

To make feeding a joy for mother and baby, use these tips:

Using the tips above, you can prevent your child from swallowing air. He will not experience discomfort after feeding. The process of eating will be calm.

You will learn what you need to pay attention to if your baby clicks when feeding.

Breastfeeding is necessary for every baby. After all, breast milk increases the baby’s immunity and is perfectly absorbed.

But questions often arise that some mothers cannot find answers to. It happens that a child eats for a long time and at the same time smacks his lips. What could this mean?

There can only be two reasons for this. You may simply be applying it to your chest incorrectly. When applied correctly, the baby's mouth should be wide open. The baby should take into his mouth not only the nipple, but also the areola and the entire nipple circle. When sucking, the baby's lips should be turned out and relaxed.

So, if your baby makes clicking noises when feeding, pay attention to how he holds the breast in his mouth. Proper breastfeeding will make the feeding process easier for both you and your baby. If you attach your baby to the breast correctly, then pay attention to his frenulum. If you notice that your child cannot lift his tongue, then most likely he has a short frenulum. If you have this problem, immediately contact your dentist or surgeon and have your baby’s frenulum trimmed.

Many young mothers are concerned with the question: “Why does a baby or an older child smack his lips?” What does the child demonstrate with these signals? Is there anything to worry about or is there no reason to worry? Let's look at this in detail.