Best Home Remedies for Nighttime Teeth Grinding (That Actually Work)

September 12, 2025

Teeth grinding

Sick of waking up with sore teeth, tight jaws, and tension headaches?

You might be grinding your teeth at night—and most people don’t even know they’re doing it.

Your dentist’s solution? A $900 splint.
Your doctor? Probably anxiety meds or Botox.
The pharmacy? Foam mouthguards that last two weeks (maybe).

But here’s the truth: you can absolutely reduce nighttime teeth grinding at home—if you use the right combination of remedies.

Let’s skip the fluff. Here are the real home remedies that actually work—and the ones that don’t.

1. Use a Custom-Fit Mouthguard (Like Reviv)

Let’s be honest: most over-the-counter guards are garbage.

But the right mouthguard is the single best defense against grinding.

The Reviv Mouthguard works because:

You heat and mold it to fit your bite
It allows micro-movement (so your jaw can relax)
It supports the joint, not just the teeth
It’s way more comfortable than dentist-made splints

No plastic prison for your mouth—just actual biomechanical relief.

👉 See why it’s different: What’s the Difference Between Reviv and Regular Mouthguards?

2. Magnesium Glycinate: The Muscle Whisperer

Magnesium calms your nervous system and relaxes overactive muscles—including your jaw.

The glycinate form is the best for sleep and muscle tension.

✅ Take 300–400mg before bed
✅ Helps you fall asleep faster
✅ Supports parasympathetic relaxation (the "rest and digest" mode)

Bonus tip: combine with Reviv for faster results.

3. Warm Compress or Heat Pack to the Jaw

Every night before bed, place a warm compress on your cheeks or temples for 10 minutes.

This helps:

Improve blood flow
Loosen the masseter muscle
Prepare your jaw for sleep

It’s like a mini physical therapy session—without the $120 copay.

4. Try Jaw Massage or Facial Gua Sha

Tension loves to hide in your temporalis and masseter muscles.

Here’s how I do it:

Press your fingertips into the sides of your jaw
Massage in slow circles for 60 seconds
Or use a gua sha tool to glide along the jawline and temples

Consistency is key. 2 minutes per night is enough to retrain overactive patterns.

5. Avoid Stimulants After 2PM

Caffeine, nicotine, and even certain supplements (like pre-workouts) can spike your sympathetic nervous system.

That leads to:

Increased nighttime tension
Shallow sleep
Higher likelihood of clenching or grinding

Just move your last coffee to before 2pm, and you’ll notice the difference within days.

6. Use Mouth Tape to Promote Nasal Breathing

Mouth breathers grind more—because their jaw has to stay tense to stabilize the airway.

Using gentle mouth tape (like Somnifix or micropore tape):

Encourages nasal breathing
Keeps the tongue in proper position
Reduces jaw tension reflexively

Note: Don’t do this if you’re congested or have untreated sleep apnea.

More here: TMJ and Sleep Apnea: Understanding the Connection

7. Breathwork: 4-7-8 to Downshift Your Nervous System

One of the most underrated home remedies.

The 4-7-8 breath resets your stress response:

Inhale for 4 seconds
Hold for 7 seconds
Exhale slowly for 8 seconds

Do this 4–6 times before bed.

You’ll feel your jaw drop, your shoulders relax—and you’ll sleep deeper.

8. Try an Epsom Salt Bath Before Bed

Epsom salts = magnesium sulfate.

They help:

Relax overworked muscles
Reduce cortisol
Improve recovery from chronic tension

Toss in 1–2 cups, soak for 15–20 minutes, then pop in your Reviv Mouthguard and go straight to bed.

9. Correct Your Oral Posture During the Day

This might be the most important long-term fix:

Tongue on the roof of your mouth
Lips closed
Teeth slightly apart
Jaw relaxed

If your tongue isn’t supporting your palate, your jaw muscles have to compensate—which often shows up at night.

10. Track Your Morning Tension Levels

This isn't a remedy—but it makes the others more effective.

Every morning, rate these:

Jaw stiffness (1–10)
Headache or temple tightness
Neck or upper back tension
Sleep quality

By tracking patterns, you’ll know which remedies work—and when to double down.

Need help with this? Use this template: Step-by-Step: Tracking Your Progress with a TMJ Appliance

Remedies That Don’t Really Work (Let’s Be Honest)

🚫 Chewing gum "to strengthen the jaw" – just makes it worse
🚫 Cheap boil-and-bite guards – usually misalign your bite
🚫 Essential oils alone – smells nice, doesn’t decompress the joint
🚫 Hoping it goes away – it won’t, without intervention
🚫 Ice packs – temporarily numb, but don’t relax the root cause

Why Home Remedies Must Include Bite Support

You can meditate, stretch, and supplement all you want—but if your bite isn’t supported during sleep, you’ll keep grinding.

That’s why Reviv Mouthguard is the foundation of every successful grinding recovery plan.

✅ Custom fit at home
✅ Supports jaw alignment
✅ Works for grinders and clenchers
✅ Doesn’t make things worse (like hard splints often do)

FAQs: Home Remedies for Teeth Grinding

1. Can magnesium stop nighttime grinding?
It helps—but only when combined with proper bite support and stress management.

2. Will I grind less with a mouthguard?
Yes. Reviv reduces pressure and absorbs force without causing rebound tension.

3. Can kids or teens use these remedies?
Yes—especially posture, nasal breathing, and magnesium (check with a pediatrician).

4. Is Botox a home remedy?
No—and it’s not first-line treatment. It paralyzes, but doesn’t solve root cause.

5. Can stress alone cause grinding?
Sometimes. But usually it’s a combo of stress, bite, airway, and posture.

Conclusion

Most people grind their teeth at night—and don’t even know it until there’s real damage.

You don’t need to spend thousands on dental work or hope it magically stops.

You just need the right home remedies that address the root causes—and a mouthguard that doesn’t make things worse.

Click Here to try the Reviv Mouthguard now—your first real step toward stopping the grind for good.

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