Abstract
Purpose A possible relationship between sleep bruxism (SB) and several sleep disorders has been suggested in children, which could influence sleep quality and quality of life. This study aims to assess such correlations in a large sample of school children. Methods Parents of 741 consecutive children aged between 8 and 12 years filled the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC). It evaluated 45 items grouped in 8 components: duration of night-time sleep, sleep latency, bedtime problems, sleep quality, night awakenings, nocturnal symptoms, morning symptoms, and daytime sleepiness. An item evaluating parental-reported tooth grinding was also included. Correlation analysis was performed between parental-reported tooth grinding and all the other items. Results A significant correlation between parental-reported tooth grinding and several sleep disorders concerning bedtime problems, night awakenings, nocturnal symptoms, and morning symptoms has been found. In general, correlation strength of significant pairs was low, ranging from 0.092 (sleep apnea) to 0.234 (movement while falling asleep). Conclusions Parental-reported tooth grinding in children is correlated, even if weakly, with some sleep disorders concerning the sphere of bedtime problems, night awakenings, nocturnal symptoms, breathing symptoms, and morning symptoms. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings, with particular regard to the consistency of correlation outcomes between the parental reports and the sleep laboratory measures.
Highlights
According to the International Expert Consensuses, bruxism is defined as a repetitive jaw-muscle activity characterized by clenching or grinding of the teeth and/or by bracing or thrusting of the mandible, and it has two distinct circadian manifestations: it can occur during sleep or during wakefulness [1, 2]
Some studies assessed the relationship between parental-reported sleep bruxism (SB) and sleep disorders [7, 8], whilst some others investigated for the association with behavioral problems, such as hyperactivity, poor school performance, and attention deficit
Whilst the parental report may be considered a proxy for actual SB, it must be remarked that the use of parental questionnaires is useful to collect data on several sleep behaviors and conditions that cannot be measured and that the child could not be aware of
Summary
According to the International Expert Consensuses, bruxism is defined as a repetitive jaw-muscle activity characterized by clenching or grinding of the teeth and/or by bracing or thrusting of the mandible, and it has two distinct circadian manifestations: it can occur during sleep or during wakefulness [1, 2]. Some studies assessed the relationship between parental-reported SB and sleep disorders (e.g., bedtime problems, night awakening, nocturnal symptoms, nocturnal breathing symptoms, and morning symptoms) [7, 8], whilst some others investigated for the association with behavioral problems, such as hyperactivity, poor school performance, and attention deficit. A large investigation by Restrepo et al suggested that some sleep disorders are associated with parental-reported tooth grinding, even if further studies are needed to refine findings [9, 10]. E Spearman test reported a significant correlation between parental-reported tooth grinding and several sleep disorders (correlation strength in parenthesis): Bedtime problems: movement while falling asleep (r 0.234), restless leg (r 0.131), falling asleep sweating (r 0.133), and tingling (r 0.096).
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