One big culprit is poor quality sleep or an issue with your sleep quantity. Sleep apnoea, a condition where your breathing gets interrupted during sleep, will severely affect your sleep quality, as it leads to low oxygen levels in your blood and, you guessed it, a headache appears when you wake up. Other sleep disorders such as insomnia, as well as a poor sleep environment, can also be to blame for your morning headache. By looking at all aspects of your sleep, we can begin to determine what the culprit of your issue is.
Not all morning headaches are caused by poor sleep. Let’s look into the other considerations, such as lifestyle choices like alcohol consumption, medication use and misuse, as well as other health problems such as tension headaches and teeth grinding.
Understanding the root causes of morning headaches can help you take proactive steps to prevent them and wake up feeling refreshed and headache-free. If you’re experiencing unique symptoms and need a personalised solution, consult with a sleep specialist who can provide valuable insights.
Is it normal to wake up with a headache every day?
Waking up with a headache every day is not considered normal and may indicate an underlying issue that needs attention. While occasional morning headaches can be common and may be attributed to factors like poor sleep posture or dehydration, experiencing them regularly warrants further investigation.
Why do I wake up with a headache?
The human body is a wonderfully complex and intricate machine, but when something goes wrong, or it’s exposed to external factors, we can start to experience symptoms. Some symptoms, like a headache, can have a multitude of causes and so the solution isn’t always a simple one. Below are some common medical explanations as to why you may be waking up with a morning headache.
Sleep Apnoea
Sleep apnoea is a common sleep disorder characterised by a disrupted breathing pattern during sleep. The muscles in the tongue and upper airway relax as we enter deeper stages of sleep and can roll back and block our airway, leading to repeated pauses in breathing.
These pauses can occur by the dozens or even hundreds of times throughout the night, causing a drop in oxygen levels in the bloodstream. When the brain detects this decrease in oxygen, it triggers a response to wake the person up just enough to regain control over their upper airway muscles and resume breathing, often without full consciousness. While these awakenings may be brief and go unnoticed by the individual, they disrupt the sleep cycle, preventing the person from reaching the deep, restorative stages of sleep.
The combination of interrupted sleep and decreased oxygen levels can lead to morning headaches. The brain is highly sensitive to changes in oxygen levels, and low oxygen levels can trigger headaches. Additionally, the fragmented sleep caused by sleep apnoea can result in sleep deprivation, which is also associated with headaches.
Other symptoms of sleep apnoea include waking with a dry mouth, feeling sleepy during the daytime, having low energy levels, concentration issues, imperfect memory and falling asleep very quickly when the opportunity arises. To know if you have sleep apnoea, you can conduct a sleep test which can be ordered by your general practitioner. Treatment varies, depending on the severity of the sleep apnoea; however, the most common treatment method is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines.
Alcohol
While a nightcap may make you feel more relaxed leading up to sleep, consuming alcohol before bed can disrupt your sleep cycle and lead to a morning headache. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it increases urine production, which can result in dehydration. As you sleep, your body continues to lose fluids through respiration and perspiration, further exacerbating dehydration. Dehydration can cause the brain to temporarily shrink or contract slightly, pulling away from the skull and leading to the sensation of a headache upon waking.
Moreover, alcohol can interfere with the quality of your sleep. While it may feel like it helps you fall asleep faster, it can also disrupt the normal stages of sleep, particularly REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is essential for restorative rest. As a result, even if you manage to sleep for the usual duration, the quality of your sleep is compromised, leaving you feeling groggy and more susceptible to headaches upon waking.
Additionally, alcohol can relax the muscles in the throat, increasing the likelihood of snoring or exacerbating sleep apnoea, which can further contribute to morning headaches. Thus, while alcohol may seem like a sedative, its effects on sleep can ultimately lead to a less-than-restful night and a headache-filled morning.
Insomnia and Lack of Sleep
Insomnia, the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, can wreak havoc on your sleep patterns and contribute to morning headaches. When you struggle with insomnia, your body and mind remain in a heightened state of arousal, making it difficult to unwind and drift into a restful slumber. This perpetual state of alertness can lead to increased muscle tension, particularly in the neck and shoulders, which are common areas where tension headaches originate. As the night wears on without adequate rest, this muscle tension intensifies, culminating in a headache by morning.
Furthermore, the lack of sufficient sleep associated with insomnia can disrupt the delicate balance of neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain, including serotonin and cortisol. Serotonin plays a crucial role in regulating mood and promoting relaxation, while cortisol, known as the stress hormone, is involved in the body’s response to stress and inflammation.
When sleep is elusive, levels of serotonin may decrease, while cortisol levels remain elevated, contributing to feelings of anxiety and exacerbating muscle tension, both of which can trigger or worsen headaches. Additionally, the prolonged wakefulness associated with insomnia can lead to fluctuations in blood sugar levels, further increasing the likelihood of waking up with a headache. Addressing the underlying causes of insomnia and implementing healthy sleep habits with a qualified sleep consultant can help alleviate morning headaches and promote overall well-being. Addressing the underlying causes of insomnia and implementing healthy sleep habits with a qualified sleep consultant can help alleviate morning headaches and promote overall well-being. TM Insomnia Treatment provides online insomnia treatment, making it convenient to access professional help from the comfort of your home.
Oversleeping
Oversleeping, while often thought of as a remedy for fatigue, can ironically contribute to morning headaches. When individuals exceed their regular sleep duration, it can disrupt the body’s internal clock and lead to what’s known as sleep inertia: a groggy and disoriented feeling upon waking. This prolonged period of sleep can also result in dehydration, as the body continues to lose fluids through respiration and perspiration while asleep.
Dehydration can cause the brain to temporarily shrink or contract slightly, triggering the sensation of a headache upon waking. Additionally, oversleeping may disrupt the natural sleep stages, including REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is essential for restorative rest. As a result, even though individuals may have slept longer than usual, the quality of their sleep may be compromised, leaving them feeling lethargic and more prone to headaches in the morning.
Therefore, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and ensuring adequate but not excessive sleep duration are important for minimising the risk of morning headaches. If you feel like your sleep scheduling might be to blame, then reach out to a qualified health professional trained in sleep medicine.
Circadian Rhythm Disorders
Circadian rhythm disorders, such as delayed sleep phase syndrome, can contribute to morning headaches due to disruptions in the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. These disorders often result in irregular or insufficient sleep patterns, causing individuals to wake up feeling unrested and lethargic. The body’s internal clock, which regulates various physiological processes, including hormone production and body temperature, becomes out of sync, leading to a cascade of effects that can trigger headaches.
Addressing circadian rhythm disorders typically involves behaviour modifications, such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and exposure to bright light during specific times of the day, to help reset the body’s internal clock and improve sleep quality. By aligning sleep patterns with the natural circadian rhythm, individuals can reduce the likelihood of morning headaches and promote overall well-being.
Teeth Grinding and Bruxism
Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, can lead to morning headaches due to the strain it puts on the muscles in the jaw, face, and neck. People often grind their teeth during sleep, which can result in symptoms such as jaw pain, gum damage, tooth sensitivity, and headaches upon waking. Stress and anxiety are common triggers for teeth grinding, but it can also be caused by misaligned teeth, sleep disorders like sleep apnoea, or even certain medications.
Dentists can diagnose teeth grinding through a visual examination of the teeth and by asking about symptoms like jaw pain or tooth wear. Treatment options for teeth grinding may include wearing a mouthguard at night to protect the teeth, stress management techniques, physical therapy to relax jaw muscles, and addressing any underlying sleep disorders. By addressing the root cause of teeth grinding and implementing appropriate treatments, individuals can reduce the frequency of morning headaches and alleviate associated symptoms.
Poor Posture and Neck Pain
Poor sleeping positions can contribute to morning headaches by placing excessive strain on the muscles and structures of the head, neck, and spine. When individuals sleep in positions that misalign the spine, such as sleeping on their stomach with a thick pillow, or with their neck twisted at an awkward angle, it can lead to muscle tension which results in neck pain and headaches upon waking.
Additionally, inadequate support for the head and neck, often caused by using the wrong pillow, can exacerbate these issues. A pillow that is too flat or too thick can cause the neck to bend unnaturally, leading to muscle strain and restricted blood flow to the head. Therefore, using the correct pillow that provides adequate support for the head and neck, maintains proper spinal alignment, and conforms to individual preferences can help prevent morning headaches and promote restful sleep. To find out more about the importance of the perfect pillow, read more here.
Certain Medications
Headaches can also arise as a side effect of both over
-the-counter and prescription medications. While these medications may be intended to alleviate head pain, their usage can inadvertently lead to a cycle of chronic headaches. Alternatively, discontinuing certain medications abruptly overnight can similarly provoke morning headaches. Among the drugs known to potentially contribute to headaches are opioids, triptans, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin, acetaminophen/paracetamol, and anti-anxiety medications.
How to Get Rid of Morning Headaches
To alleviate morning headaches, several strategies can be employed. Firstly, ensuring a consistent sleep schedule and practising good sleep hygiene can promote restful sleep and reduce the likelihood of waking up with a headache. It is also beneficial to have an assessment of the quality of your sleep through a sleep test to rule out any underlying sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea that may be causing your morning headache. Once diagnosed, seeking treatment through an appropriate sleep professional to ensure your specific condition is being treated by addressing the underlying cause of the problem.
Investing in a new mattress and pillow and ensuring your sleep position is comfortable and supports your head, neck, and spine is important to prevent headaches caused by excessive strain on your muscles. Additionally, if you suspect you may be grinding your teeth at night, then a trip to your local dentist is important to prevent further damage to your teeth and getting the correct treatment needed.
Hydration is also crucial, as dehydration can trigger headaches, so staying adequately hydrated throughout the day is essential. Avoiding alcohol as well as super salty foods for dinner can help reduce dehydration that occurs during the night. If you are taking medications that also have diuretic properties, then it is important to increase your fluids to match the fluid loss the medication is producing.
Furthermore, managing stress levels through relaxation techniques such as meditation or deep breathing exercises can help reduce muscle tension and alleviate headaches. If over-the-counter pain medications are used for headache relief, it’s important to use them sparingly and under the guidance of a healthcare professional to avoid medication-overuse headaches. Consulting with a healthcare provider is advisable to identify the specific cause of morning headaches and to determine the most effective treatment plan tailored to individual needs.
FAQ
What is the right pillow to use to stop morning headaches?
This will depend a lot on the position you sleep in (on your back, side, stomach or a combination) and the size of your head and body. Ensuring your pillow not only supports your head and neck in the correct position but feels comfortable throughout the night. There are a lot of considerations when buying a new pillow, check out our guide for more information on the best pillows for sleeping in Australia.
Is my sleeping position causing my morning headache?
It is possible that an abnormal sleeping position that does not support correct head, neck and back alignment may be the cause of neck pain and your morning headache. You may need to address the quality of your mattress and pillow if you feel like your sleeping position is to blame for your morning headache.
How do I know if the medications I am taking are causing my morning headache?
Reading the product information document found inside the box of your medications should highlight the side effects of the medication you are taking. If you are concerned that some of your medication’s side effects are impacting your health and well-being, it is best to talk to the prescribing doctor about alternative medications or other treatment options.
Can dehydration cause morning headaches?
Absolutely. Being dehydrated will often result in a headache no matter what time of the day. It is common that excessive alcohol consumption in the evening may result in a headache the next morning. Ensuring adequate water intake (especially if drinking alcohol simultaneously) may be what is needed to eliminate your morning headache. If you are experiencing thirst, muscle and/or stomach cramps, this can also indicate you are dehydrated.
I snore but don’t think I have apnoea. Could this still cause my morning headache?
Sleep apnoea is often described as a long pause in someone’s breathing at night, followed by a gasping kind of sound. But you can still have a form of sleep apnoea without this classic breath pause and choking sound.
A hypopnea event is similar, although your airway does not fully close, just partially. You still have the sound of breathing, or possibly snoring, but the airway is not wide enough to be meeting your oxygen demands and so you will still experience the same kind of symptoms as sleep apnoea.
Additionally, there is another type of sleep apnoea called a central apnoea. This is not caused by an obstruction or partial obstruction in your airway, but a miscommunication from your brain to your breathing muscles. With central sleep apnoea, it is possible that you do not snore at all and you can wake up with the morning headache.
Will CPAP stop my sleep apnoea induced morning headache?
CPAP machines are used to treat a patient who has sleep apnoea, by providing continuous positive airway pressure (hence the name CPAP) which will prevent your airways from collapsing. CPAP machines will effectively treat your sleep apnoea, which is the cause of your morning headache.
Take Charge of Your Morning Wellness with TM Insomnia Treatment
In conclusion, waking up with morning headaches can be a disruptive and frustrating experience, but understanding the underlying causes can empower individuals to take proactive steps toward relief. Whether it’s addressing sleep disorders like sleep apnoea or insomnia, managing stress levels, improving sleep hygiene, or seeking appropriate treatment for teeth grinding or circadian rhythm disruptions, there are various strategies available to alleviate morning headaches.
It’s essential to prioritise good sleep habits and address any potential contributing factors with the guidance of healthcare professionals. Seeking help from a qualified and experienced sleep consultant can provide valuable insight and support in identifying and treating sleep-related disorders, ultimately leading to better sleep quality and fewer morning headaches. Remember, taking proactive steps toward better sleep can significantly improve overall well-being and quality of life. Connect with Tracey for a free 15-minute consultation to discuss your sleep health.
