A network analysis of self-reported sleep bruxism in the Netherlands sleep registry: its associations with insomnia and several demographic, psychological, and life-style factors

Objectives: To investigate the association between self-reported sleep bruxism and insomnia and their potential risk factors (eg, depression and anxiety), and to construct a network model with all these factors. 

Methods: We recruited 2251 participants from the Netherlands Sleep Registry. All participants completed questionnaires on self-reported sleep bruxism, insomnia, depression, anxiety, smoking frequency, and alcohol and caffeine consumption. The associations between self-reported sleep bruxism and other variables were analyzed by univariate analysis, multivariate logistic regression, and network analysis. 

Results: Although univariate analysis showed that there was a positive association between sleep bruxism and insomnia (P < 0.001), this association disappeared in the multivariate logistic regression model (P = 0.258). However, multivariate logistic regression did show an association between self-reported sleep bruxism and anxiety (OR = 1.087, 95% CI 1.041–1.134). The network model showed that there was no direct link between self-reported sleep bruxism and insomnia. However, there was an indirect link between self-reported sleep bruxism and insomnia via anxiety. 

Conclusions: Although self-reported sleep bruxism has no direct association with insomnia, anxiety is a bridging factor between these variables.