Earth Clinic Mobile: Home Remedies for People and Pets

Tongue Issues > Tongue Issues Q&A > Habit of Biting the Tongue Since the Age of 12

Habit of Biting the Tongue Since the Age of 12

Posted By Chloe (Fresno, CA) on 07/03/2006

Since the age of 12 (I am now 40), I have a weird habit of biting my tongue at night. Not every night, just sometimes. I usually wake myself up as I am piercing one section of my tongue, but at that point the pain feels so good, I keep going for a while, chomping away. I don' t have masochistic tendencies, but I realized that I am releasing endorphins by inducing pain! In the morning I am usually left with a very raw tongue, which takes a few days to heal. Any ideas what causes me to do this and how to stop it?

Replied by EC

There must be a handful of people around the world who have this biting tongue at night issue! This is the 2nd email in 2 years that we have received about a night-time biting tongue habit... This habit is very similar to people who cut themselves to experience an endorphin high. We heard back from that reader that eliminating acidic food from the last meal of the day, especially tomatoe sauce (fresh tomatoes are ok) worked wonders. The extreme acidity of the food may have been the trigger.

Replied by Sk (Texas) on 08/10/2013

Wow! I thought I was the only one! I have had the bad habit of biting my tongue since I was 6. I will bite off tiny bit until I create a large ulcerated area the size of a cigarette burn. It takes about a week for it to heal. Eating spicy food will burn really bad. I really think this is some kind of PTSD response. I know this is weird but the pain is somewhat enjoyable or comforting. I am under psychiatric care and do take my medication but the tongue biting is still a problem.

Replied by Tonguechewer (Dayton, Ohio) on 01/10/2012

I also have this problem. The only difference is that I bite my tongue at all times, not just at night. I try to chew gum all day but I still end up chewing my tongue. Over the past couple weeks it has gotten worse. I used to chew it until it bled, then I was able to resist doing it just until it healed. Now I just keep chewing. I do get pleasure out of it, as weird as it sounds, it feels good to chew the part of my tongue that is sore. I am taking welbutrin and I have read that tongue chewing can be a side effect. Is there anything else I can do or use?

Back to Tongue Issues Q&A