Severe ear pain caused when I lay down at night.

Wow this is interesting....i have the ear pain that everyone on describes on here but i also have vitamin d deficiency and hashimotos.

I have the very same problem ! It is like the ear goes to sleep but the pain is real .

Hi all, I wanted to comment because I started getting this every single night last year so followed this thread hoping for an answer... and now have found one for me that I hope can help others too. I used to get the ear pain once in a blue moon, but it started coming up every night, first just on one ear but then on the other. I went to the doctors and had drops, steroids, sinus rinses and nose sprays but nothing worked. Every night without fail I would get excruciating pain in my ear area on the side I was lying on. Finally after 10 months of doctors' visits and products I was referred to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist, who felt all around my ears, mouth and neck and concluded that it was from clenching my teeth at night. Which seemed BS to me as I'd also explained to him that while I was there I'd like to get my nasal canal checked out as I can never get enough air in through my nose when exercising and sleeping - so end up with my mouth open and drool all over my pillow. Anyway, he told me to get a mouthguard made up to prevent me grinding my teeth. I left nearly in tears knowing it wasn't the answer, but did start to pay attention to my jaw from then on.... and found that I tense it ALL the time. While I'm stressed or anxious about something, or even sometimes while I'm chewing. I've now become conscious of it, and often find it's tense for no reason so will give my jaw a shake and try to relax the area. Maybe a little massage along the jaw line. And miraculously that has seemed to help! I realised too that when it all started, I had just moved into a new room in my flat that had the nextdoor shower leaking into the bedroom wall (I'd wondered if the pain was from dampness) with endless plumbers coming through not being able to fix it. An extremely stressful situation.

Sometimes now there are times when I become aware that my jaw is tense so I try to relax it but it keeps tensing up immediately again, usually if I'm stressed about something or worried I'm going to be late. I tested this the other day by remembering to take note of whether I had the ear pain at night after that time of jaw tenseness and sure enough I did.

So I encourage you to pay attention to your jaw - while you're driving, sitting at work, eating, and particularly when you're stressed about something - and actively relax it when you notice it's tense.

Hopefully this can help someone else having the same issue!

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I had this problem for years and finally tried a neck roll inserted into my pillow. You can wrap a towel into a roll and test this. The roll sits in the crook of my neck, supporting my neck while I sleep. No more ear pain!

Yes but how do I fix it in dying

don't worry i have it 2

I have ever the same problem with my ear. I have also been to the doctor and they can't see anything wrong. I worry because it happened once in a while and now it's more often. Feels like I can't take my ear off the pillow. It happens in which ever ear I sleep on. I struggle to sleep these days because I worry that it will happen again not sure what to do.

Thanks I will try some of your suggestions. Running out of ideas.

Who's your doctor

I'm a 45 year old man and started getting sore ears when I tried to sleep on a pillow at night. It isn't in the ear canal, just the outer ear. Both ears started doing this at once and it never happened before in my life. I tried switching pillows and pillow cases but that didn't help. I think I might have figured out what may be causing it. When I would lay down in the afternoon, I wasn't having the problem so I started watching what I did differently at night. I always wash my face right before going to bed (just an old habit I've always done to feel better when I try to sleep). I grew a beard not long before this started. I'd dry my face before going to bed but my beard held more water than my thin, short hair. My pillow would get wet and I think this might cause the irritation. It's been much better since I've made sure not to let my pillow get wet. I might be wrong and it might be a coincidence but it's just something to try.

no, I don't think that has anything to do with woman's hormones, I am a 48 year old man and both of my ears hurt almost every night! all night long! I would sleep on my right side for a while and and that ear starts hurting, I turn around to the left ear and that one starts hurting too, and it doesn't take long to start feeling that sharp pain on the outside of both of my ears, during the day they don't hurt, only when I put pressure on the pillow. Any body else know anything about a solution for this?

I use an airplane neck pillow and put my ear in the hole so it's not touching anything when I lay on my side ..seems to work well

I am 65 and a side sleeper. I have cartilage ear pain when I sleep on either side. For a long time, I would sleep on the palm of my hand with my fingers in front of the ear and thumb behind. Just the other day, I went to Wal-Mart and bought an 18 X 18 X 2 inch blue foam. Using my sewing scissor, I cut it down to 9 X 9 X 1 foam pad and cut a two inch hole in the center. At bedtime, I put this foam pad on my pillow with my ear in the hole. The pad comfortably supports my head and keeps my ear off the pillow. I can easily adjust the foam whenever I change position. I've had no cartilage ear pain since using the foam pad. In the morning after I get up, I put the foam pad in the pillowcase for safe keeping. I recommend trying this simple solution. Good Luck.

That's happening to me right now it hurts more when I lift it off the pillow.

Don't worry I have that too I just keep lying on it I know I shouldn't do that but oh well I'm not going to let an ear pain make me fail my Irish exam tomorrow at school I love Irish so I'm not going to a little ear pain get me down best of luck bye I hope it gets better soon bye .