Why does my jaw hurt when I wake up?

You open your eyes and your jaw already feels tired, as if you spent the night chewing gum. By lunchtime it has usually eased off, and the next morning it is back. There is usually a clear explanation.

Below I go through the likely reasons, a short morning check you can do yourself, and what helps.

In short

Waking up with a sore jaw most often points to clenching or grinding your teeth while you sleep. Experts describe this as chewing muscle activity during sleep (Lobbezoo et al., 2018), and the Cleveland Clinic lists facial pain and headaches, especially in the morning, among its common signs (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). A tooth infection or a jaw joint problem such as arthritis can also cause it.

• You often cannot tell by yourself whether you grind at night, so outside clues help.
• Warmth or cold eases the morning, and keeping your teeth apart during the day helps over time.
• Swelling, a high temperature, a jaw that locks or jaw pain with chest pain needs medical attention rather than self-care.

Why does my jaw hurt in the morning but feel better later?

While you sleep, your chewing muscles can keep working. An international expert group defines sleep bruxism as chewing muscle activity during sleep, which can be rhythmic or non-rhythmic and covers both grinding and clenching (Lobbezoo et al., 2018).

The NHS says teeth grinding can lead to a painful jaw and to temporomandibular disorder, or TMD, and can also cause headaches, earache and disturbed sleep (NHS teeth grinding, 2026). The Cleveland Clinic notes that grinding in your sleep can do more harm than grinding during the day because you do not notice it happening (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). If you also wake up with a headache, our article on whether teeth grinding can cause headaches covers that side of it.

More grinding does not simply mean more pain. In a Canadian sleep lab study of 100 people with sleep bruxism, those with less chewing muscle activity at night were more likely to report jaw muscle pain and tiredness (Rompré et al., 2007).

The timing of your pain is also a weaker clue than it seems. A US study asked 84 people with and without TMD to rate their pain several times a day. Most showed no strong daily pattern, more than half of all participants reported pain that rose slightly through the day, and rising or falling patterns were independent of whether people said they clenched by day or ground at night (Glaros et al., 2008). Morning pain makes night-time clenching a likely suspect, but it does not prove it.

Stiffness after waking can also come from arthritis. The NHS lists wear and tear of the jaw joint among the causes of TMD (NHS TMD, 2023), and says that in arthritis generally, osteoarthritis stiffness usually wears off within 30 minutes of getting up, while rheumatoid arthritis stiffness often lasts longer and tends to start in the small joints of the hands and feet (NHS rheumatoid arthritis, 2023). A German clinical guideline reports that the jaw joint is involved in 40 to 90 per cent of people with rheumatoid or juvenile idiopathic arthritis, often without symptoms (Schmidt et al., 2022).

Why do I clench my jaw when I sleep?

The NHS says it is not always clear why people grind their teeth, and names stress and anxiety as the most common cause (NHS teeth grinding, 2026). It also lists sleep apnoea and snoring, some medicines, smoking, and a lot of alcohol or caffeine. The Cleveland Clinic adds SSRI antidepressants, and says drinking more than six cups of coffee a day roughly doubles the likelihood (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). If tension seems to be your main trigger, read can stress cause jaw pain?

In the large US OPPERA study of adults aged 18 to 44, people with a high likelihood of obstructive sleep apnoea, based on signs such as loud snoring, daytime sleepiness and witnessed pauses in breathing, were more likely to develop TMD for the first time over a median follow-up of 2.8 years (Sanders et al., 2013). In people who already have sleep apnoea, a Dutch sleep lab study found chewing muscle activity was more frequent lying on the back than in other positions (Kuang et al., 2024). If you snore loudly or feel exhausted during the day, mention it to your doctor.

Why does my jaw hurt on one side when I wake up?

Many people blame their pillow or the side they sleep on. In a Swedish study of 100 people treated for TMD and 100 without it, preferred sleeping positions did not differ, although the TMD group had more often changed position because of symptoms (Mundt et al., 2011).

Pain on one side can also come from a tooth. The NHS lists intense toothache or gum pain, sensitivity to hot or cold, a bad taste, difficulty opening your mouth, a swollen face or jaw and a high temperature as signs of a dental abscess (NHS dental abscess, 2026). Our article on why your jaw hurts on one side goes through the other one-sided causes.

How do I know if I clench my teeth at night?

It is surprisingly hard to judge by yourself. In a New York sleep lab study of 170 women with and without TMD, their own reports of grinding did not reliably predict whether moderate or severe sleep bruxism was measured (Raphael et al., 2015).

Outside clues are more useful. The NHS advises seeing a dentist if your partner says you grind your teeth in your sleep, or if you grind and have tooth damage, sensitive teeth, or pain in your jaw, face or ear (NHS teeth grinding, 2026). A dentist usually diagnoses bruxism from your symptoms and an examination, and an overnight sleep study can give a definite answer when it is needed (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). More on the habit is on our teeth grinding page.

Try it: the morning jaw check

I give this check to people whose jaw hurts on waking. Do it for a week, right after waking and before you eat or drink anything.

1. Stay lying down for a moment and notice exactly where it hurts: your cheeks, your temples, just in front of your ear, or one particular tooth.
2. Notice whether your teeth are touching. Let them part and rest your tongue softly on the roof of your mouth.
3. Open your mouth slowly as far as feels comfortable and see how many stacked fingers fit between your front teeth.
4. Press gently with two fingers on the thick muscle at the back of your cheek and on your temple. If the pressure brings back the pain you woke up with, your chewing muscles may be involved.
5. Write down how long the stiffness lasts and whether anything else, such as your neck or a tooth, hurts too.

After a week, sore cheek and temple muscles that ease through the morning are worth mentioning to your dentist as a possible sign of night-time clenching, though timing alone cannot confirm it. One tender tooth points more towards a dental cause, and long stiffness in other joints is one for your doctor. Take your notes to your dentist. Stop any step that causes sharp pain or makes your jaw catch.

What helps a sore jaw in the morning?

The NIDCR recommends starting with simple, conservative care and avoiding treatments that permanently change your teeth, bite or jaw joints (NIDCR, 2026).

Right after waking

The NHS suggests a hot water bottle wrapped in a tea towel twice a day for 15 to 20 minutes, or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel for no more than 5 minutes at a time, whichever feels better. It also recommends soft food such as pasta, omelettes or soup, massaging the painful jaw muscles, and paracetamol or ibuprofen if you need it (NHS TMD, 2023). The NIDCR adds gentle stretching and strengthening exercises for the jaw (NIDCR, 2026). Our TMJ exercises page has routines to start with.

Over the long term

Apart from when you eat, your teeth should be apart (NHS TMD, 2023). The NHS also suggests finding ways to relax, going to bed at the same time every night, and cutting down on alcohol, caffeine and smoking (NHS teeth grinding, 2026).

A dentist may recommend a mouth guard or splint, which you wear at night to protect your teeth from damage (NHS teeth grinding, 2026). For options beyond a splint, see night guard alternatives.

How JawBuddy helps

JawBuddy is a digital companion for guided jaw exercises and self-management. JawBuddy Therapy also includes a daily tooth contact check.

The app does not replace emergency care or an individual diagnosis from a qualified healthcare professional.

When should you see a doctor?

A few situations need help quickly.

Emergency: call 999 (UK), 911 (US) or 112 (EU) if you have chest pain that spreads to your arms, neck or jaw (NHS heart attack, 2026).

Also an emergency if you might have a dental abscess and any one of these applies (NHS dental abscess, 2026):

• you find it hard to breathe, speak or swallow,
• you have a lot of swelling in your mouth,
• you find it hard to open your mouth,
• you have a swollen or painful eye, or sudden problems with your eyesight.

Urgent: contact your GP or doctor urgently, or call NHS 111, if:

• you cannot eat or drink, or your jaw locks,
• you have frequent, severe headaches,
• you have vision problems such as double vision or loss of vision (NHS TMD, 2023).

If you think you have a tooth infection, ask for an urgent dentist appointment, because a GP surgery cannot give you dental treatment (NHS dental abscess, 2026). The NIDCR lists jaw pain, jaw stiffness and limited movement or locking among possible signs of TMD, and advises seeing a dentist or doctor if you think you have TMD (NIDCR, 2026). Otherwise, see a dentist if your morning jaw pain keeps coming back despite self-care.

Your mornings can feel easier

Try the morning jaw check tomorrow, and after a week take your notes along to a dental appointment.

For the bigger picture of jaw joint and muscle problems, read our TMJ disorder guide, or start with our page on jaw pain.