Experiencing jaw pain can really detract from or even prevent getting a good night’s rest. Understanding why you are waking up with jaw pain allows you to take the necessary steps to deal with it to keep it from happening at all. Jaw pain in the morning can be the result of several things including TMJ disorders, unconscious teeth clenching or grinding, inflammation of your jaw muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints, or recent trauma. Regardless of the reason behind it, waking up with jaw pain can be very frustrating since it starts your day off on a bad note which affects the rest of your daily activities. Understanding the underlying reasons behind morning jaw pain is the first step to diagnosing the problem and taking active steps towards finding a way to treat it.
What Could Be the Reason for Waking Up with Jaw Pain?
Waking up with jaw pain is not a great way to start your day. Being unable to function the way you should since you’re experiencing throbbing pain makes it difficult to eat, talk, and probably even smile. In order to effectively treat morning jaw pain, you need to understand what the underlying cause might be. Below are the 12 typical reasons among several others why you are feeling jaw pain.
- TMJD: Temporomandibular joint disorders affect the jaw joints and surrounding facial muscles and ligaments. TMJD can cause several issues such as jaw pain, headaches, stiff neck, and difficulty moving the mouth. These symptoms can present themselves even more after sleeping if there is additional pressure placed on a TMJ that is already misaligned.
- Bruxism: Also known as teeth grinding, bruxism is a poor sleeping habit where you unconsciously clench or grind your teeth which causes unnecessary stress on your jaw muscles. Our teeth are typically only intended to touch when biting and chewing. When our mouths are closed, our jaws are relaxed, and our teeth aren’t clenched together. When clenching occurs, the result is tension in your jaw muscles that can result in muscle soreness.
- Sleeping in the Wrong Position: Waking up after sleeping in a poor position can cause aches and pains. Although there are ideal sleeping positions that medical experts suggest following, it depends on the person’s preference and comfort. That being said, sleeping in an unnatural position that puts stress on your neck making it stiff and your jaw muscles strained can lead to jaw pain.
- Bad Pillow: Among the best tools to promote good sleep would be a supportive pillow designed to improve your sleep position. Having a bad pillow can do the exact opposite which can result in your head being positioned poorly while you sleep. This can result in tension on your neck or jaw which can cause morning jaw pain.
- Diet: The kind of food that we eat is also a significant factor that affects jaw functionality. Chewing on tough food or consuming food or drinks high in caffeine can result in jaw tension and bruxism. Straining your jaw from having such an unhealthy diet can result in morning jaw aches and pain.
- Stress: Every time you experience stress your body reacts to it in a way that makes you physically tense, anxious, and drained. When this tension is focused on your jaw you tend to clench and grind which causes aches and pains.
- Posture: Having a good posture is more than just standing up straight, it’s how the body positions itself. Good posture balances the different musculoskeletal structures in the body, so they are not stretched and strained. Having bad posture, slouching, and hunching over can strain your body from head to toe and lead to discomfort and pain when you wake up in the morning.
- Dental Problems: Another factor to consider that causes jaw pain would be dental problems such as common toothache, sensitive teeth, tooth decay, gum disease, root infections, and many more. Having recent dental work such as a tooth filling or crown, tooth extraction, etc. may also result in tenderness or soreness to the area. Each tooth has a nerve ending connected to our entire facial structure and pain receptors. This is why having a dental problem can cause headaches and jaw pain.
- Misaligned Teeth: Having crooked teeth can cause uneven distribution of pressure on the jaw each time you chew or apply pressure. If you grind your teeth while sleeping, this can lead to discomfort and jaw pain in the morning. Misaligned teeth also affect bite alignment which tends to increase tension when eating which can exacerbate jaw strain and aches.
- Wisdom Teeth: Wisdom teeth are a common cause of jaw pain. Wisdom teeth are the third molars which are often the last to come out from our set of teeth. Usually, there is not enough room for our wisdom teeth to come out which in turn pushes the other teeth to make space. This often results in misalignment which causes severe discomfort and pain.
- Arthritis: Arthritis affects the joints and connective tissues of the body which causes inflammation and tenderness. This can occur in the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) and can get worse when the body is at rest or asleep. This can result in an increase in jaw pain in the morning.
- Sleep Apnea: This is a sleep disorder that affects your breathing while asleep. Your breathing could stop causing your body to instinctively wake up which in turn makes you restless and stressed. There are various factors that cause your breathing to stop, but it is usually caused by some sort of blockage in the airway or due to clenching or grinding of the teeth. Another factor behind why sleep apnea can result in jaw pain may be due to the use of a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) mask because wearing the mask at night can put pressure on the face.
What is TMD?
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a set of over 30 conditions that stimulate pain and irregularity in the jaw joints and muscles that specifically control jaw movement. TMD can be caused by various factors like misaligned jaw or teeth which result in pressure and tension felt in the TMJ. Another cause could be external factors like trauma from an injury or oral surgery, or continuous strain caused by teeth grinding. TMD is a serious condition, especially if left untreated. It can cause severe jaw pain, headaches, migraines, muscle aches, and stress which can affect your day-to-day life. These symptoms can develop further while sleeping if unnecessary strain is applied to the neck or jaw from poorly positioned sleep.
How to Alleviate Morning Jaw Pain
Preventing TMJ pain in the morning is a far better alternative than trying to treat it after it presents itself. However, if jaw pain is felt in the morning, there are several things that can be done to help reduce the pain. Here are a few methods on how to prevent or alleviate morning jaw pain:
- Consistent Exercise: Healthy exercise should be a part of your daily routine because it keeps your body healthy and helps to reduce tension and stress which are common causes of jaw pain. Exercises such as jogging, cycling, or yoga help reduce tension and stress which in turn reduce muscle tension and bruxism.
- Using Hot and Cold Compress: Applying either a hot or cold compress on your jaw or sides of your face has proven to be helpful in minimizing jaw pain. A hot compress is best for jaw pain that’s caused by muscle spasms or tension while a cold compress is better for jaw pain caused by inflammation.
- Avoiding Tough and Chewy Foods: Biting into or chewing on foods that are tough makes your jaw joints and the surrounding muscles tired and worn. This can aggravate an existing TMJ disorder which further causes pain and discomfort. In order to prevent this, eating soft foods and avoiding items like bubble gum are recommended.
- Intake of Vitamins or Mineral Supplements: A magnesium deficiency can result in muscle spasms while calcium deficiency leads to muscle stiffness and possible weakening of the jawbone. Taking vitamins or mineral supplements helps enhance your body’s nutrients that strengthen your jaw muscles and joints which then prevents any jaw pain caused by such deficiency from the nutrients.
How to Treat the Causes of Jaw Pain That Occurs When Sleeping
Knowing the cause of jaw pain would be beneficial when determining how to treat it. By understanding the underlying cause, effective treatment and pain management strategies can be implemented to reduce morning jaw pain.
- Bruxism: Using a mouthguard or bite guard is the best and most noninvasive method to protect your teeth from unconsciously grinding and clenching while asleep. Another method would be practicing a few tongue and jaw exercises that help relax and lessen the strain on your jaw muscles due to bruxism.
- Cavities and Gum disease: Good dental hygiene for prevention is best but if there is already an underlying issue such as cavities and gum diseases, professional help is likely needed. Depending on the issue, a dentist may be needed to get a filling, crown, or extract a decayed tooth.
- Wisdom Teeth: Pain caused by wisdom teeth usually means that there is an impacted tooth that needs to be removed. This generally requires a surgical procedure to remove the wisdom teeth. This should be done early to prevent teeth misalignment which can exacerbate jaw pain in the morning.
- Sleeping position: Being well rested can bring change to one’s overall health and mood. The sleeping position you would be comfortable in isn’t always the best, especially when it causes you to experience jaw pain in the morning. The key to reduce jaw pain caused by a poor sleeping position would be using a good neck and head support pillow and sleeping on your back to alleviate pressure on your jaw.
- TMJ Disorder/ TMD: Depending on the severity of the TMJ disorder, it is best to use conservative or noninvasive treatments such as pain medication, hot and cold therapy, and stress reduction strategies. If these treatment options fail, corrective surgery or more invasive options may be needed.
When to See a TMJ Specialist for Jaw Pain
Home remedies should work for jaw pain that you experience occasionally but seeking medical attention for more persistent or extreme cases of morning jaw pain is recommended. When pain becomes unbearable or drastically impacts quality of life, there is likely an underlying problem that needs to be diagnosed and treated. Delaying the proper treatment in these situations can make your condition worse and lead to irreversible outcomes.
Contact Dr. Omrani If You’re Waking Up with Jaw Pain
If you’re waking up with jaw pain and have done everything you can to try and reduce pain symptoms, then it may be time to consult with an expert who deals in TMJ pain. Contact Dr. Kathy Omrani of the Headache TMJ Los Angeles Pain Clinic to schedule an appointment at (310) 422-4246. It is important that your jaw pain is properly assessed and treated by a qualified expert who specializes in TMJ related pain. With the proper care and treatment, waking up with jaw pain will no longer be a problem you have to deal with. Schedule an appointment today to get your life back and wake up pain free.
Waking Up with Jaw Pain FAQs
How can I fix my jaw pain from sleeping?
We grind and clench our teeth while asleep which results in jaw pain as we wake up in the morning. Remedies such as using a mouth guard or bite guard, changing your sleeping position, and having a high-quality pillow have been proven effective methods in fixing jaw pain from sleeping.
What to do if you wake up with a sore jaw?
If you do wake up unexpectedly with a sore jaw, you can apply either a hot or cold compress on the sore side of your face, take pain medication, and avoid tough and chewy food. If all else fails, the best solution would be to consult a TMJ specialist like Dr. Kathy Omrani.
Why do I wake up with a sore jaw on one side?
Sleeping on your side and not having good neck and head support can cause stiffness and pressure on your facial muscles and jaw. By having a high-quality pillow and sleeping on your back, you can minimize the strain on your face and neck that results in discomfort. By doing so you can reduce the likelihood of waking up with a sore jaw.
Can sleep position cause jaw pain?
Waking up with jaw pain can be caused by your sleeping position and a bad pillow. Sleeping on one side and putting pressure on your jaw would aggravate the joints and muscles in your face and neck which make them sore in the morning when waking up.
