“I bite my tongue in a dream” - people often turn to a doctor with such a problem. Moreover, absolutely healthy people suffer from this concern. Involuntary movement of the jaws can be triggered by stress. And if a person feels pain in the tongue every morning, then we can safely talk about the development of neurological pathology. What to do and how to prevent biting the tongue? Let's talk in more detail.
Why do children and adults bite their tongue in a dream?
An active lifestyle, dynamic games (in children) are the main causes of an unpleasant and often painful sensation in the tongue after sleep.
Active play with peers can lead to the fall of the child. At the same time, the teeth close, and the tongue bites. Boys often fight. During a scuffle, they can hit each other in the jaw, causing a bite of the tongue.
Adults bite their tongue for almost the same reasons. They lead an active lifestyle, engage in a gym, during which the effect on the jaw occurs mechanically.
A bite of the tongue in a dream is a common disease that affects both children and adults. There are a lot of factors that provoke this phenomenon: stress, vitamin deficiency, dental problem, habit. We will talk more about the causes of a tongue bite in a dream later.
Why is this dangerous?
If a person says: “I bite my tongue in a dream,” you need to know about the dangers of such a phenomenon. Firstly, during biting, the lateral parts of the tongue are damaged. Most often during the bite, the mucous membranes of the cheeks are affected. If the phenomenon occurs frequently, then chronic damage to the inner surface of the cheeks occurs.
Secondly, bleeding of the tongue, pain, wounds, ulcers - the results of biting the tongue. These effects can make it difficult to chew on food particles and make individual sounds. In particular, during the conversation there may be a “whistling” of sounds in people who suffer from this disease.
Of course, it is impossible to die from biting your own tongue. Even if you completely bite off your tongue.
Reasons to bite your tongue in a dream
There are a huge number of factors that interrupt a restful sleep. One of the common causes is biting the tongue, and with it the cheeks. You should not sound the alarm if a similar situation occurs once every few months. However, if a person feels pain every morning in the area of the tongue, then it is urgent to determine the cause of this phenomenon:
1. Bruxism is a disease in which a person grinds his teeth at night. This is not a serious pathology, but due to it, the tongue and the inside of the cheeks bite. Many doctors are of the opinion that bruxism at night is a neurological problem. Therefore, in many cases, it is enough to put on a silicone mouthguard before bedtime to get rid of an uncontrolled bad habit.
2. Unregulated braces and improperly installed braces can cause teeth to brush. In order not to bite the tongue in a dream, it is necessary to wear a special elastic band that slightly raises the jaw.
3. Apnea is a pathological condition in which breathing in a dream is interrupted for a short time. Apnea in adults is quite common. During this "seizure" the jaw relaxes as much as possible, and the tongue slips out of the dentition. As soon as breathing is restored, the jaw contracts.
4. Stress and nightmares are one of the common causes of biting the tongue in a dream. Most often, this problem affects pregnant women or recently giving birth to a baby. Their body is still in a state of stress and undergoes cardinal hormonal changes.
5. Lyme disease is one of the rarest reasons for biting a tongue in a dream. This pathology affects the brain and nervous system. As a result, the body sends the wrong signals to the muscles.
6. Cramps - one of the reasons for biting the inner shell of the oral cavity. Most often, this problem affects people who have epilepsy attacks. During sleep, the muscles of the epileptic are uncontrolled, which can cause involuntary closure of the jaw. Convulsions during sleep can occur in children during their active growth. A somnologist can diagnose the problem. Thanks to a special examination method , the doctor observes the brain waves of the patient. If the doctor confirms that the cause of the bite of the tongue is not epilepsy, other reasons should be considered.
7. Epilepsy is a chronic disease in which convulsive seizures, loss of consciousness, vomiting, and other dangerous symptoms appear. Attacks most often occur during sleep. Sleep epilepsy is different from the usual clinical picture. Breathing worsens, muscle hypertonicity occurs spontaneously. The upper limbs of a person are in a reduced state, and the lower ones are elongated. With spasm, involuntary bowel movements and urination are observed. The epileptic greatly compresses the jaw and bites the tip of the tongue. Most often, this leads to bleeding. Such cramps last about a minute. After the attack, breathing returns to normal, and foam appears near the mouth. After a bite of the tongue, it has a scarlet color. After a seizure at night, patients may not remember what happened to him. However, the next morning the following data testify to the attack: a rumpled sheet, spots on the bed from saliva and foam, traces of feces and urine.
8. Movement disorders are one of the possible causes of a bite of the tongue during sleep. Such disorders are manifested in the form of sharp swaying of the head and body movements. Most often, this reason appears in active children. Movement disorders can lead to headaches, body swaying, twitching of limbs, and even fractures. A similar problem can disappear and reappear as a child grows up. If a sedative before bedtime does not help, then perhaps you should consult a psychologist for cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy.
Baby bites his tongue
The habit of biting the tongue, lips, cheeks begins to form from 2 months in the child. One of the reasons for the appearance of such symptoms is teething or infection in the baby's mouth.
Many mothers give their child a toy so that he bites it, not his tongue.
How to stop biting your tongue in a dream?
First of all, go to the dentist and therapist for an appointment. Perhaps the reason for biting the tongue lies in tooth damage or trauma to the oral cavity. It is necessary to identify the cause of this condition. Take away the reason - stop biting your tongue in a dream.
How to restore the tongue after biting?
Often, doctors ask patients a question: “I bite my tongue in a dream, what should I do?” Typically, a tongue injury heals within 7 days. There is no urgent need to visit a doctor. Since human saliva has natural healing properties that help accelerate the healing of damaged tissues.
Of course, you can use home remedies. Many doctors recommend applying ice to the area where the blood flows. Rinsing the mouth with salt water is also effective.
The main thing is to exclude spicy foods from the diet until the pain completely disappears.
If blood has gone?
In this case, pinch the wound to the cheek or palate. This is a first aid for a small bite of the tongue. You can use a piece of ice or a clean cloth.
Carefully inspect the wound. Estimate the severity of the procus. If the wound is deep enough, then go to the dentist's office.
If the size of the wound is small, then use a rinse with salt water. This will speed healing. Within 20 seconds, 1 tsp. Dissolve sea salt in a glass of warm water. Rinse the mouth with a solution.
If bleeding does not go away within a few hours after sleep, then you should seek help from a doctor. Perhaps an infection has been introduced into the body or there is a problem with blood coagulation.
Be sure to seek the help of a dentist who will select the appropriate protection for the teeth.
Often, doctors make a jaw cast for the patient - a special mouthpiece that must be worn before bedtime.
How to relieve pain?
You can use other effective home remedies: take vitamins B and C, nutritional supplements that contain zinc. You can use magnesium hydroxide, salt, adhesive pastes, hydrogen peroxide, rinse.
It is definitely impossible to say after what period of time the bitten area of the tongue will completely recover. It all depends on how deep the piece was.
What to do after an injury?
“I bite my tongue in a dream all the time, how to relieve pain?” - A frequent question that the patient asks the dentist. To reduce pain, it is recommended to dissolve a small piece of ice or popsicles. There are also a number of recommendations:
- Do a cold compress for several days after biting your tongue.
- It is allowed to take "Paracetomol", "Advil" (drugs in a dosage by age).
- Use dental special gels: “Metrogil-Denta”, “Asepta”, “Holisal”.
- Refrain from eating and drinking for 2 hours after waking up.
- Rinse your mouth with decoctions of herbs and a solution of sea salt three times a day. Chamomile broth helps well. For its preparation you need 1 tbsp. l Chamomile leaves pour 1 cup of warm water (not boiling). Let it brew for 20 minutes.
This procedure will speed up the healing process.
When to go to the doctor?
There are factors that cannot be ignored. So, the reasons for urgent treatment to the doctor:
- if swelling and hematoma formed at the site of the injury;
- if the tissue of the tongue is completely bitten through;
- if it was not possible to stop the bleeding within half an hour;
- if the wound is 5 mm in size, deep and with torn edges.
If treatment at home is ineffective, the tongue hurts, and the swelling does not go away for a long time, then you need to see a doctor.
What is forbidden to do?
Doctors have identified a number of actions that are forbidden to do when biting the tongue. So you can’t:
- apply ointments, iodine and antibiotics to a fresh wound (they will lead to a burn);
- rinse the oral cavity with hot or cold herbal decoctions;
- drink hot or cold drinks;
- crush fingers on the wound;
- use alcohol tincture;
- to examine the wound, use objects (pencil, pen), otherwise you will introduce an infection.
The main thing is not to take antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription.
How to prevent biting the tongue?
If a disease is the cause of involuntary movement of the jaw, then all efforts should be directed to its treatment. If the doctor did not find any real deviations in the patient’s state of health, then a psychotherapist should be visited. Many people who suffer from bruxism and apnea benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Relaxing asanas, yoga, a cup of mint tea before bedtime reduce the risk of involuntary biting of the tongue.
You can take sedatives before bedtime based on medicinal herbs. Take tincture of motherwort, valerian. Also do not forget about relaxation music. She helps many to relax and calm emotions before going to bed. Relax music is the sounds of nature: the sound of the sea, forest, rain, birdsong.
In many cases, the reason for biting the tongue is an unstable state of the nervous system, and not a serious pathology.