Blog / 20 July 2026 · 3 min read

Teeth Grinding at Night: Signs You Might Be Missing

Bruxism — the medical term for grinding or clenching your teeth, usually during sleep — is surprisingly common, and a lot of people who have it don't realize until a dentist points it out or a partner mentions the sound.

The most common clue is how you feel in the morning: a sore or tight jaw, a dull headache around your temples, or teeth that feel unusually sensitive first thing in the day. Over time, grinding can also visibly flatten or wear down the biting edges of your teeth, and in more advanced cases, lead to small chips or cracks.

Stress is one of the most common triggers, though an uneven bite or certain sleep patterns can contribute too. The tricky part is that because it happens during sleep, most people only find out indirectly — through the wear pattern a dentist notices during a routine checkup, for example.

The good news is that treatment is usually straightforward. A custom-fitted night guard — made specifically to match your bite, unlike a generic store-bought one — creates a barrier between your upper and lower teeth, protecting them from the friction and pressure of grinding. It doesn't stop the grinding itself, but it prevents the damage that comes with it.

If mornings regularly start with a sore jaw or a headache that seems to come from nowhere, it's worth mentioning at your next dental visit — a quick look at your teeth is often enough to tell whether bruxism is the cause.

Related: read more about our custom night guards.