I swear, the more anxious I am, the tighter my jaw gets, night guard or not.
Funny you mention that—stress is like a magnet for jaw pain in my case. There was a week I had a big work deadline, and by Friday, I could barely eat toast. The warm washcloth trick helps me, but sometimes I’ll do gentle self-massage along my jawline and temples, too. Have you ever tried any relaxation apps or breathing exercises before bed? I find they make a surprising difference some nights.
The warm washcloth trick helps me, but sometimes I’ll do gentle self-massage along my jawline and temples, too.
I totally get that—my jaw tenses up so much it feels like it’s made of concrete some nights. I actually tried a guided breathing app (Headspace, if anyone’s curious), and it was weirdly helpful for unclenching before bed. For me, the routine goes: heat pack for 10 minutes, then some slow jaw stretches (open, side to side), and finish with the app. It’s not perfect, but on bad days it definitely takes the edge off. Sometimes I wish the night guard did more, but at least this combo makes mornings less miserable.
I hear you on the night guard—I shelled out for one and it feels like wearing a bitey retainer from middle school. Honestly, my wallet still hasn’t forgiven me. What’s helped me most (besides microwaving the same rice sock for months) is chewing less gum and swapping to soft foods when things get rough. My dentist suggested PT but, uh, insurance laughed at that idea. DIY jaw stretches and YouTube yoga are my cheap go-tos. Not glamorous, but my jaw appreciates it... sometimes.
I totally get the night guard struggle. Mine feels like a mouthful of plastic and I’m always worried I’ll choke if I fall asleep weird. I’ve also tried the rice sock trick, but honestly, sometimes I just end up burning my face... Chewing less definitely helps, but every time I try to eat a bagel or something crunchy, my jaw clicks and it freaks me out. My dentist mentioned PT too, but yeah—insurance basically laughed in my face. Jaw stretches from YouTube are hit or miss for me, though. Some days it helps, other days not so much.
That clicking sound with crunchy foods is the worst—I get it, it’s like your jaw is warning you in real time. The night guard thing took me ages to get used to, too. Have you tried warming it up a bit before putting it in? Sometimes that helps it feel less bulky, at least for me. I’m with you on the YouTube stretches—some days they help, other days my jaw just feels stubborn. It’s frustrating when insurance won’t cover PT, but maybe there are local clinics that offer sliding scale fees? Not perfect, but sometimes worth a shot. Hang in there, you’re definitely not alone with this stuff.
