How to Relax Your Jaw When Sleeping

Conditions of the mouth, including bruxism and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ or TMD), involve jaw muscle soreness from constant teeth clenching and teeth grinding. If you suffer from these conditions, learning how to relax your jaw when sleeping at night is key to reducing symptoms.

When you’re able to find a way to reduce the amount you clench, you may be able to alleviate jaw pain and facial muscle soreness. Fortunately, there are a myriad of effective remedies to reduce your clenching; exercises and stretches can improve clenching symptoms as well.

How Do You Relax Your Jaw to Prevent Clenching?

People with bruxism or TMJ usually don’t even realize they are clenching their teeth, especially when it happens at night. Because it’s often subconscious, clenching can be difficult to stop. In fact, many people may clench their teeth for months or even years before they realize they have bruxism or TMJ. Oftentimes, a dentist can recognize signs of bruxism and TMJ before the patient by examining signs of wear on the teeth.

Fortunately, many treatments exist to help you reduce or stop clenching. Some of which are simple home remedies. Common and helpful treatments include:

• Muscle relaxants
• Mouthguards, night guards, and oral splints
• Botox injections
• Stress reduction techniques
• Changing sleeping position
• Jaw stretches, exercises, and massage
• Hot and cold therapy

If you are seeking a way to relieve pressure in the jaw, consider some of these jaw exercises.

Related Articles:

• Why Do SSRIS Cause Jaw Clenching?
• Why Does My Jaw Hurt On One Side?
• What Causes TMJ to Flare Up?

What Are Jaw Exercises to Relieve a Tight Jaw?

If your jaw muscles are tight, you can relieve tension through jaw exercises and stretches. In a study titled The Effect of Relaxation Exercises for the Masticator Muscles on Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD), researchers found that jaw exercises reduced pain and improved range of motion in people with TMJ. The exercises in the study included both active and relaxation exercises (Bae & Park 2013). You can do these exercises right before bed to reduce your chances of clenching throughout the night.

Some common jaw exercises include:

• Touching the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth behind your front teeth then opening and closing your jaw
• Smiling as wide as you can, opening your mouth two inches while inhaling, then releasing your smile while exhaling
• Opening and closing your mouth a few times, placing your fingers on your front bottom teeth, then pulling down until you begin to feel discomfort. Hold this position for 30 seconds.

Trying these exercises at home may be helpful, but you’ll likely get the best results if you see a physical therapist. He or she can recommend specific exercises that target the muscles responsible for your clenching and help you learn how to relax your jaw when sleeping. Your physical therapist can also help you address underlying problems such as stress. By working with a physical therapist, you’ll have the best chance of both reducing your clenching and improving your symptoms.

What Causes Jaw Clenching at Night?

Identifying why you grind or clench at night is helpful when seeking treatment. When you know the cause of your bruxism, you and your care team can target treatments to address the underlying cause.

In many cases, sleep bruxism, TMJ disorders, sleep apnea, and other sleep disorders are often brought on by stress and anxiety. Other common causes include some antidepressants, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and tetanus. Caffeine and alcohol consumption (especially right before bed) has been linked to sleep bruxism as well.

Related Articles:

• Biting Tongue In Sleep
• COVID Jaw Pain

Side Effects of Jaw Clenching

Jaw clenching can have many side effects that are damaging to your oral health. Some of the common side effects of clenching include:

• Jaw pain
• Sore facial muscles
• Neck and back pain
• Muscle tensions
• Muscle contractions
• Earaches
• Clicking sounds in the jaw joint
• Limited range of motion of the jaw

If you are suffering from any of these side effects, it’s worth talking to your dentist or healthcare provider to find solutions that can reduce or eliminate your symptoms.

While reducing symptoms of grinding may involve more intensive treatment such as muscle relaxants or exercises recommended by a physical therapist, simple solutions can reduce side effects as well. For example, limiting chewing gum and eating fewer hard foods can soothe a sore jaw.

Shop Now

What to Do If You Clench Your Jaw at Night

If you clench your jaw at night and can’t identify the root cause, the first thing you should do is make an appointment to see your dentist. He or she can evaluate your overall oral health and help you develop a treatment plan on how to relax your jaw when sleeping, reduce your symptoms and potentially stop clenching.

In many cases, the first line of treatment for bruxism is a night guard. The plastic oral appliance creates a barrier between your upper and lower teeth, which prevents tooth damage and reduces symptoms of bruxism. Pro Teeth Guard offers custom-fit mouthguards online for an affordable price. Our night guards are made in a professional dental lab; this is effectively the mouthguard you’d receive from a dentist.

References:

• Bae, Y., & Park, Y. (2013). The Effect of Relaxation Exercises for the Masticator Muscles on Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD). Journal of physical therapy science, 25(5), 583–586. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.25.583
• Whelan, C. (2020). 7 causes of a tight jaw, plus tips to relieve the tension. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/tight-jaw
• Yap, A. U., & Chua, A. P. (2016). Sleep bruxism: Current knowledge and contemporary management. Journal of conservative dentistry : JCD, 19(5), 383–389. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-0707.190007