Hi, I’m Dr. Richard Goodfellow.
I’m here to talk to you about stress, sleeping (or the lack thereof), or a problem getting to sleep.
Nobody has to comment on the stress that has been happening in the last year and a half on top of what other stresses people were facing before recent events.
If you find yourself clenching or grinding your teeth at 2 o’clock in the morning, that is a completely different system than if you are clenching and grinding your teeth at 2 o’clock in the afternoon.
Both can lead to headaches. Both can lead to jaw problems. But they are different.
If you are clenching your teeth at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, you are awake. This is a cognitive/behavioural issue. This could be due to problems with a job, family, or traffic, etc. It could be related to any or all of these issues.
These are a habit. These are daytime stress releasers.
However, if you are clenching or grinding your teeth at 2 o’clock in the morning, you are unconscious. This is your autonomic nervous system taking over and you are doing that for a different set of reasons.
It could be a sleep and/or breathing issue. It could be a pain issue. It could be both.
If you have trouble getting to sleep, that is different than staying asleep.
Staying asleep is often an airway issue.
Not being to get to sleep could be a pain issue. Or it could be an issue related to what happened to you during the day.
I’m happy to help with either of those issues.
You need to consult with a physician, especially if you are having trouble getting to sleep.
