Glycemic burden during nocturnal sleep in patients with sleep bruxism across sleep stages.

OBJECTIVE

To assess nocturnal glycemic burden across sleep stages in adults with polysomnographically confirmed sleep bruxism.

METHODS

95 adults underwent polysomnography, bilateral masseter electromyography, and continuous glucose monitoring. 70 participants with BEI ≥2 events/h formed the sleep bruxism group and 25 with BEI <2 were controls. Glycemic burden was calculated as glucose AUC (mg·h/dL).

RESULTS

Fasting glucose, glycated hemoglobin, sleep architecture, respiratory indices, and oxygenation did not differ. Glycemic burden was higher with bruxism during total sleep time (690.06 vs. 634.08 mg·h/dL; p = .008) and non-rapid eye movement sleep (524.89 vs. 489.20 mg·h/dL; p = .046). Mean nocturnal glucose and glycemic variability were similar. In 15 participants with BEI >4, glucose during RMMA-related bruxism periods was higher than outside them (102.60 ± 13.06 vs. 97.07 ± 9.37 mg/dL; p = .044).   .

CONCLUSION

Sleep bruxism was associated with higher nocturnal glycemic burden, particularly during non-rapid eye movement sleep, but causality and independence from confounding require confirmation.