Why am I Waking with a Sore Jaw? 7 Possible Answers

You’re Sleeping in a Bad Position

Sleeping in a bad position for you could cause a sore jaw. While there’s no one best position for jaw health, it’s important to consider how your position could be affecting your jaw and adjust, if necessary.

Sleeping on your stomach and turning your head to the side can stress your neck and jaw muscles. This can also be a problem if you’re a side sleeper but don’t have a supportive pillow. Sleeping on your back might seem like the ideal solution, and it does put the least direct pressure on your jaw.

However, sleeping on your back does increase the risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which could potentially stress your jaw due to nighttime clenching and jaw repositioning. If sleep apnea is a factor in your jaw pain, a more effective and comfortable treatment approach—such as the SLEEP APNEA PRECISION APPROACH™—may be necessary.

You Don’t Have a Good Pillow for TMJ

We mentioned that having a supportive TMJ pillow can help reduce tension if you’re a side sleeper. As a side sleeper, you need to get enough support for your head and neck, but if a pillow is too high, it can also cause more tension. With other pillows, you might push or burrow into the pillow, which can put pressure on your jaw.

In truth, there isn’t a single best pillow, but it’s something you should consider if you’re suffering regular jaw pain in the morning. Try a few different pillows and see if they make a difference.

It Could Be Something You Ate (or Drank or Smoked)

Naturally, you might want to link jaw pain to food. After all, that’s mostly what you do with your jaw, right? And it’s true—if you notice that eating a particular meal or snack leads to jaw pain the next day, then the two might be related.

But chewing isn’t the only way that food can impact your jaw pain at night. Bruxism (clenching and grinding) is one of the leading causes of jaw pain in the morning, and this behavior can be triggered by caffeine, alcohol, and smoking. Reducing these stimulants—especially in the evening—may help minimize clenching and grinding during sleep.

You Might Be Stressed

Sleep is supposed to relieve all the day’s woes, but it’s not as simple as that. Often, the day’s cares can haunt us even in our sleep. Stress can make you clench and grind during the day, and it can do the same while you’re sleeping.

Check this by paying attention to how your jaw pain correlates to your stress levels. If more stress means more jaw pain, then there might be a connection.

Try different relaxation methods to help you sleep. If you can’t achieve relaxation on your own, consider getting help from a counselor—these approaches are very successful. For patients whose clenching is linked to sleep apnea, oral appliance therapy, such as the SLEEP APNEA PRECISION APPROACH™, can help stabilize the airway and reduce nighttime jaw tension.

Exercise Could Be the Cause

Your exercise routine could be affecting your jaw without you realizing it. Many exercises can lead to jaw pain in the morning, especially if you work out in the evening. If you engage in high-impact exercises, your jaw joint may suffer from the jarring motion, as it is suspended by soft tissue rather than supported by bone.

Other exercises can cause strain that is passed on to your jaw. This is especially true of upper-body workouts like weightlifting. If you clench your jaw while lifting, that could be the cause of your jaw pain.

Some people feel pain while exercising, but others don’t notice it until the next morning. If you rotate different exercises, keep a jaw pain journal to track which workouts might be triggering soreness.

Sleep Apnea Could Be the Cause

Are you waking up feeling tired, groggy, or with headaches in the morning? Have you been told that you snore? If so, you may have sleep apnea, and that could be the underlying reason for your jaw pain.

In obstructive sleep apnea, the airway collapses during sleep, cutting off airflow. To compensate, the body often clenches the jaw to keep the airway open, leading to excessive muscle strain. Since sleep apnea sufferers may experience hundreds of airway blockages per night, this could mean repeated jaw clenching that leaves you sore in the morning.

At Michigan Center for TMJ & Sleep Wellness, we are experts in treating sleep apnea and jaw disorders holistically. Our SLEEP APNEA PRECISION APPROACH™ is a customized, non-invasive solution that stabilizes the airway while protecting the jaw from excessive tension. Unlike CPAP, which can exacerbate TMJ issues, our approach is designed specifically for patients with both sleep apnea and jaw pain.

It Might Be Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJ or TMD)

You should suspect temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ or TMD) if you have persistent jaw pain, clicking, or difficulty opening your mouth. TMJ disorders can develop from clenching, grinding, bite misalignment, or airway obstruction, making it essential to address both the jaw and breathing function together.

Research shows that half of all sleep apnea sufferers also have TMJ disorders, making it critical to find a treatment that manages both conditions simultaneously. The SLEEP APNEA PRECISION APPROACH™ offers an airway-focused solution that:

• Keeps the airway open to prevent apnea events
• Reduces nighttime jaw clenching and muscle strain
• Supports proper jaw alignment for long-term comfort

If you suspect TMJ disorder may be contributing to your morning jaw pain, it’s important to seek care from a sleep dentist trained in airway and jaw health.