Has anybody endured wearing an occlusal splint?

I have TMJ syndrome as well. I wear my splint at night, as I did not want to wear it during the day (it’s definately noticable to myself). The splint is as comfortable as having a mouthguard in your mouth is… although it fits specifically to your tooth structure and is very thin comparatively … the orthodontist will put some hard substance on the front of it to keep your back teeth from touching most likely –> is what he did with mine). Because I grind my teeth at night the splint allows my back teeth to not touch and thus puts potential pressure off of my jaw. I grind the aforementioned hard substance until there are large grooves in it. When I do not wear it at night my jaw feels aggravated in the morning. I clench my teeth in the daytime when stressed or concentrating and have to make a concerted effort to not do so. My orthodontist at the time I was fitted said I should wear the splint full-on, straighten my teeth, then get my jaw broken. Frankly, I am too scared to go that route and feel that the jury’s still out on breaking the jaw to correct this syndrome. I have heard it can make it worse and I feel my TMJ is not that bad. Although both joints pop and I can only open my mouth (without dislocating (?) the joint) about two fingers I do not get severe headaches. My friend also has TMJ (her TMJ was caused by teeth straightening … I have had TMJ for 10 years without any known causation except perhaps some developmental aspects as I was premature). There is a TMJ help clinic in Vancouver BC, Canada. I wonder if there is a clinic near where you live that could give you more information and support?