Memory foam pillows were hit or miss for me too...felt comfy at first but woke up feeling stiff. Weirdly, sleeping on my side with a regular pillow tucked under my chin helped ease jaw tension. Ever tried side-sleeping positions to see if it helps?
"Weirdly, sleeping on my side with a regular pillow tucked under my chin helped ease jaw tension."
That's interesting...I haven't tried the pillow-under-the-chin trick yet, but now I'm definitely curious. I've been struggling with jaw tension too, especially since getting braces for my underbite. Memory foam pillows seemed promising at first, but like you said, I'd wake up feeling stiff and achy—almost like they were too supportive or something?
Lately, I've been experimenting with side-sleeping positions as well. I found that hugging a pillow (like literally wrapping my arms around it) helps me relax my shoulders and neck more naturally. It sounds silly, but it kinda distracts me from clenching my jaw overnight. Maybe it's just psychological, but hey, whatever works, right?
Anyway, thanks for sharing your tip! I'll give the chin pillow thing a shot tonight and see how it goes. Fingers crossed it helps ease some of this tension...
I've actually heard a few patients mention similar pillow tricks for jaw tension relief, so you're definitely onto something there.
"Memory foam pillows seemed promising at first, but like you said, I'd wake up feeling stiff and achy—almost like they were too supportive or something?"
Yeah, memory foam can be hit or miss for jaw and neck issues. Have you noticed if your jaw tension changes depending on the firmness of the pillow you're hugging? Curious if softer vs firmer pillows make any difference...
Memory foam pillows were tricky for me too. I initially thought they'd be perfect because of the support, but ended up feeling more tense in the mornings.
"almost like they were too supportive or something?"
Exactly my experience—felt like my head and jaw couldn't relax properly. Switching to a softer pillow helped somewhat, though it took some experimenting. It's reassuring to see others noticing similar things; makes me feel less like I'm imagining it all...
Memory foam pillows messed with me too, especially during my braces phase. Felt like they made the jaw tension worse somehow... Like, I needed something softer to relax properly at night. Weird how little things like pillows make such a difference with dental stuff.
