Braces for underbite taking forever and a day

I've had a similar experience with jaw tightness in the mornings, and honestly, I think you're onto something with the pillow situation. I tried one of those orthopedic memory foam pillows specifically designed for jaw alignment a while back. At first, it felt kinda weird - like sleeping on some oddly shaped marshmallow - but after about a week, I noticed my jaw didn't feel as stiff or sore when waking up. Didn't completely solve my underbite issues (still stuck with braces for what feels like forever...), but it definitely helped ease some of the discomfort.

Also, I've noticed that sleeping on my back rather than my side tends to help a bit more. Took some getting used to, but now it's second nature. Might be worth giving it a shot if you haven't already. Either way, good luck - jaw issues are no joke, and every little thing helps!

I've been dealing with something similar myself - braces for an underbite can really test your patience, can't they? I haven't tried the orthopedic pillow yet (though your marshmallow description made me chuckle), but I did notice a difference when I switched to sleeping on my back. It felt super awkward at first, and honestly, I kept waking up on my side anyway... but after a few weeks, it became more natural. My orthodontist also suggested some gentle jaw stretches in the morning to ease tightness, which surprisingly helped a bit.

I still get anxious about how long this whole process is taking - sometimes feels like there's no end in sight - but hearing others' experiences makes it a little easier to cope. Hang in there; we're all in this together, right?

Totally relate to the sleeping-on-your-back struggle... took me ages to get used to it. I tried one of those orthopedic pillows too, but honestly, it felt like sleeping on a brick. Jaw stretches do help though - especially after waking up feeling like my jaw's glued shut.

"Jaw stretches do help though - especially after waking up feeling like my jaw's glued shut."

Ugh, I feel this so much. When I had braces for my underbite, mornings were honestly the worst. I'd wake up feeling like my jaw had been clamped shut overnight. Tried the orthopedic pillow route too, and yeah... brick is exactly the right word, haha. Eventually, I found that sleeping slightly propped up with a softer memory foam pillow helped ease some of the tension. Also, warm compresses on my jaw before bed made a noticeable difference - might be worth a shot if you haven't tried it yet. Hang in there, though; it really does get better over time.

"Eventually, I found that sleeping slightly propped up with a softer memory foam pillow helped ease some of the tension."

Totally get where you're coming from, but honestly, memory foam pillows never did much for me. Felt like my head just sank in too deep and made things worse somehow. Weirdly enough, switching to a thinner, flatter pillow helped ease my jaw tension more. Guess everyone's different, huh? But yeah, warm compresses are a lifesaver - definitely seconding that suggestion. Hang tight, it really does improve eventually... even if it feels endless right now.