Severe ear pain when laying on my side at night

Hello, 

I've had the same issue you've mentioned- ear pain in my left ear when sleeping on my left side.  It feels like it is coming from inside my ear (inner ear) and the pain wakes me up.  Once I move, the pain is worse for a bit and then subsides after 10 minutes or so.  This has been a problem for several years.  Because of something I read on here, about five night ago before bed, I used a plug-in massager on my head, neck, and face.  In particular, I focused on the area around my left ear: In front, above, below and behind it.  I had no idea the muscles in scalp and face around my ear were so tight!  The whole thing is a bit painful because of the muscle tightness and the massager is strong.  I would not use anything that vibrates; this is a rolling neck messager that cost maybe $25-$30.   However, for the first time in years, I had no ear pain.   Last night, I went to bed without doing it and halfway through the night, the pain was back.  I have TMJ and I am sure it is somehow related.  Thank you for your posts and I hope this might help someone.

I have been awoken by this ear pain for five years.  I had thought it was from pressure on the ear while lying on my side.  i also thought it might be from sleeping deeply on Valium or ambien. After a while I realized it would happen in the cartilage of the ear that was facing up too. I was quite concerned .  I knew Ono one who complained of this absolute burning sensation. When I found people blogging about it I felt much better.  I still would not call it common.  I read something very helpful. Massage vigorously when I feel the pain hurts briefly but I resolves it much quicker so the pain is actually much less.  Incidentally I have a nighquarts form my teeth and it makes no difference.  As for the cause , I have three degenerates disks in my cervical spine.  I feel pretty certain that is the source of the pain because I can pretty well trigger burning on the tops of my ears based upon my extension of my neck.  My doctors just say stuff like lots of things can happen. 

Well its so good to hear (excuse the pun) of others suffering from ear pain. I have had it on and off for some years now and also thought it was pressure from sleeping. It hasn't presented itself for sometime until this morning when I woke up with it. Boy is it painful and very hard to pin point. I can't work out if its inside or outside the ear and when I press the cartilege its seems to disappear and move to another area so very mysterious. I would love to have a proper diagnosis but its so hard to describe and by the time I visit my GP next, I know it won't be there. This is so frustrating.  I hope someone can help.

I am 7 months pregnant and prior to pregnancy had always been a stomach sleeper. I have had to train my body to sleep on my side and I too was experiencing EXCRUCIATING pain in my ear from lying on it through the night. On a whim, I tried this pillow from Bed, Bath & Beyond and it literally worked like magic - no more ear pain!

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This is the Sobakawa Cloud Pillow and for $20, you're not breaking the bank. I have had the pillow for a week now and I am 100% happy and certain that this solved the problem. I don't believe that this has anything to do with my actual pregnancy, just the need to become a side sleeper, so I hope that this is helpful to all of you out there experiencing similar pain.