The Lion's Pride Volume 10 (Spring 2018) | Page 59

chewing and crushing of food which is produced by the force of the
teeth coming together – and the release of stress (p. 3). Biting on things
such as fingernails, pen caps, or other objects that can easily replace
those when in need are “considered outlets for emotional tension or
stress” (Kubo et al., 2015):
Mastication during stressful conditions suppresses stress-induced
activation of the autonomic nervous system, causing sympathetic nerve
terminals to locally release catecholamines. Aggressive biting during
exposure to stress significantly attenuates stress-induced increases in
dopamine metabolism and noradrenaline turnover in the hypothalamus
and limbic areas.
Although studies on the correlation of sleep bruxism and
environmental stress factors still are controversial, there are many that
support the relationship between the two subjects, which are still being
studied further (Kubo et al., 2015).