# Biting the inside of your cheeks



## nitarose2 (Nov 18, 2003)

Does anyone bite the inside of their cheeks when they are sleeping or bite their tongues? I noticed that I do this a lot when I am sleeping. Last night I kept on biting my tongue. Does anybody know why I do it?


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## Argo (May 1, 2005)

Yeah, I do it. There are two long scars running along the insides of both cheeks from where my teeth have gnawed on them over the last 20 years. It must happen in my sleep, since I'm not aware of doing it consciously. Can't say I really do it with my tongue, though I wouldn't worry about any of it unless you're constantly sore or bleeding. It doesn't show on the outside.


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## QuietTexan (Nov 15, 2005)

I have those long scars too. But I bite my cheeks when I'm awake as well as when asleep.


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## NÃ¶liena (Oct 1, 2005)

I bite my cheeks a lot too while I sleep. I don't think I've ever bitten my tongue while asleep, but I do it by accident while I'm awake on a regular basis.


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## Drella (Dec 4, 2004)

I do. It's funny you started a thread on this. For the past few days, I've been biting the inside of my cheek. I stopped for a while before now, but now I can't stop. I keep feeling the taste of... well, how your inner cheek 'tastes' after it's bitten for a while, and I keep biting because of the taste. It's annoying.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

I have a "scar"-like area on the inside of my mouth from biting it too much. I must have gotten it from the bruxism I have as a side-effect of Paxil. Thank goodness it doesn't hurt anymore, but I do remember drawing blood a few times. :afr


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## ShyViolet (Nov 11, 2003)

I've been doing that my whole life. I used to think I was the only one who did, because people would sometimes catch me doing it and ask what the hell I was doing. :blush


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## Anxiety75 (Feb 10, 2004)

I clench my teeth mostly when I sleep,and I think I have TMJ-but anyway I also bite the inside of my mouth and it is sore for days. Just painful and then I accidently bite it during the day because it is swelled.


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## FailureGene (Nov 12, 2005)

I don't even do it in my sleep, I do it awake, out of bordom (although I can't say I've ever scarred myself doing it) I mess around with my hair a occationally as well, for no apparent reason. :con


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## slytherinkitten (Jul 28, 2015)

I personally have got TMJ so i went to the chiropractor who noticed that i too have scars and cuts on the inside of my cheeks where i had been biting my cheeks in the night. She recomended i get a bite guard from the dentist and this could help this. So far i think it has helped both my TMJ and biting my cheeks. I hope this helps


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## virgoshoyru (Jul 20, 2015)

i wake up in such agony because of this, it's worse on my tongue D; my dentist always tells me off for it. but i also suffer from migraines and those can be linked to grinding teeth in your sleep; maybe we are just heavily jawed haha


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## wrongnumber (May 24, 2009)

I used to gently chew on the inside of my cheeks when I was much younger. It didn't hurt, it was soothing. I eventually broke the habit though because it's obviously not doing the inside of your mouth any good.


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## kivi (Dec 5, 2014)

This is an old thread but yes, I do that. It's a habit for me. Sometimes I forget it and do nothing, my inner cheeks heal but later, I start doing it so bad that my inner cheeks start bleeding. It's annoying and I sometimes can't stop myself. (I do that while I am awake)


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## ShyLion (Jul 25, 2015)

Thought I was the only one that did this. I'm been doing it since I was a kid and I'm not sure why. I tend to do it when I'm thinking and don't even realise half the time.


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## probably offline (Oct 8, 2012)

I used to bite my tongue when I was a kid(while awake). I quit when I developed a new obsessive behavior(cracking my joints). I think it's a way to release anxiety. I've had all sorts of bad habits.


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## dontwaitupforme (Feb 23, 2013)

Yep, I used to bite my cheeks and pick my moles off.. Fortunately I've grown out of it.


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## anxious87 (Oct 6, 2013)

Yeah I do this often, when getting anxious while lost in thought. I suppose it is considered a nervous habit


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## BlueMoon72 (Jul 26, 2015)

I only bite on the inside of my left cheek. I'm not sure why?  I also clench my teeth a lot during the day.


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## sleepy lizard (Aug 2, 2015)

I don't bite my tongue, but I've been biting the inside of my cheeks and front of my mouth for 19 years. Every little piece of flesh ripped off is like a small victory, and more points if it hurts a little. I love the blood from it, no clue why. I feel satisfied chewing the little pieces between my front teeth and sucking as much blood out of the wound that i can. Usually my mouth forms this loose white skin over it the next day, and i repeat the process. I do it when I'm awake only, but it's frequently an unconscious process that I do all day. I have scars from it, and the corners of the inside of my mouth are hardened a bit. I grind my teeth at night for so long that my molars are worn down, and I can't fall asleep with a mouth guard. I do have some tmj from breaking both sides of my jaw when I was 8. I clench my teeth a lot, and chewing gum helps relieve the tension when I've nothing left to chew in my mouth for the day without causing serious damage. Then I start picking my lips. Everyday... How do you stop something that you don't even realize you're doing most of the time when you also enjoy the sensation? Once in a while I cause a sore that swells and becomes painful for a week, but when it's healed, I start all over.


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## shyguy07 (Mar 22, 2015)

Sometimes I bite the sides of my mouth if I'm nervous or something. I occasionally bite my tongue by accident, but never on purpose. I used to also chew on the skin on each side of my fingernails, I haven't done that in years though.


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