The effect of sleep hygiene and physiotherapy on bruxism, sleep, and oral habits in children with sleep bruxism during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: Sleep bruxism has been associated with temporomandibular dysfunction, pain, fatigue, and poor sleep quality. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the gender and age distribution of sleep and oral habits of children with sleep bruxism and to examine the effect of a sleep hygiene and physiotherapy program. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 82 children aged 6-13 years with sleep bruxism were initially screened between March 2020 and June 2021, from which 37 of them voluntarily attended an 8-week sleep hygiene and physiotherapy program. Evaluations were made using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and the Oral Habits Questionnaire (OHQ) at the beginning and at the end of the 8-week program. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were determined between the 6-9 years and 10-13-year age groups in respect of the sleep habits subcategories of resistance to bedtime (p = 0.001), sleep anxiety (p = 0.043), parasomnia (p = 0.040), and sleep respiratory disorder (p = 0.041). Following the 8-week treatment program, a significant reduction was obtained in the VAS value (p < 0.05), CSHQ subcategories of resistance to bedtime (p = 0.001), sleep duration (p = 0.008), parasomnia (p = 0.000), and in the OHQ score (p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: There was no relationship between sleep bruxism and gender, but a relationship was found with age. The rate of bruxism was seen to decrease with an increase in age. It was determined that oral, sleep habits, and bruxism are closely related, and the rates at which bruxism is seen are affected by the oral habits. Sleep hygiene and physiotherapy have been effective in children with sleep bruxism.