A number of sleep or health disorders, as well as personal habits, can trigger a headache when you wake up. Sleep apnea, migraine, and lack of sleep are common culprits. However, teeth grinding, alcohol use, and certain medications can also cause you to wake up with a headache.
You can stop waking up with a headache by seeking chiropractic care, taking OTC medications, or making specific lifestyle changes, like getting good sleep, avoiding alcohol and drugs, cutting out caffeine, and relieving stress.
Morning headaches are common, and most of the time, there's no reason for concern. However, if you find yourself frequently waking up with headaches, it's important to pay attention to the type of pain you feel and if you're experiencing any accompanying neurological symptoms.
Yes, insufficient fluid intake can cause headaches. Some people are much more prone than others to headaches related to dehydration, and people who are more susceptible can avoid the headaches by making sure they drink enough fluids daily.
You may feel pain all over your head or in just one spot, such as the back, front or side. The pain is usually like a dull ache, but it can also be sharp. You may have a throbbing (pounding) headache, or the pain might be constant. The pain might get worse when you bend over, shake your head or move around.
As brain tissues pull away from the skull, the resulting pressure on nerves creates the pain we associate with headaches. Dehydration headache locations can be all over the head, or at one spot like the front, back, or sides of the head. The pain from a dehydration headache can be mild or extreme.
If your doctor finds that your headaches may be linked to something like insomnia, sleep apnea or bruxism, you may need further treatment to get to the root cause. And if you're getting morning headaches three or more times per week, you should make an appointment to help figure out next steps.
“Red flag signs and symptoms include focal neurologic signs, papilledema, neck stiffness, an immunocompromised state, sudden onset of the worst headache in the patient's life, personality changes, headache after trauma, and headache that is worse with exercise.”
See a GP if:
your headache keeps coming back. painkillers do not help and your headache gets worse. you have a bad throbbing pain at the front or side of your head – it could be a migraine or, more rarely, a cluster headache.
The most common causes are headache, migraine, or infection. Most conditions that cause pressure in the head go away on their own or respond to over-the-counter pain medication. However, intense or persistent pressure in the head may indicate a severe underlying medical condition.
They are characterized by a pressing, not pulsing, pain that is usually felt across both sides of the head, and can last up to four hours. Unlike some other types of headaches, sleep apnea headaches are not accompanied by nausea or sensitivity to light and sound.
Sleep on your back or side, not on your front
If you suffer from headaches, make sure you sleep on your back or side, which is ideal for spine alignment. Also, curling up in a ball in the fetal position may feel instinctive, but it pulls your shoulders forward, which can create a lot of stress in your neck.
See your provider soon if: Your headaches wake you up from sleep, or your headaches make it difficult for you to fall asleep. A headache lasts more than a few days. Headaches are worse in the morning.
Headaches that are accompanied by fever, stiff neck, confusion, decreased alertness or memory, or neurological symptoms such as visual disturbances, slurred speech, weakness, numbness, or seizures. Headaches that are accompanied by a painful red eye. Headaches that are accompanied by pain and tenderness near the ...
Brain tumor headaches cause intense pain that people may confuse with migraine or tension-type headaches. However, brain tumors cause other symptoms in addition to headaches, including: fatigue. weakness.
A toxic headache is the least common type of vascular headache that usually comes from a fever from acute illnesses such as measles, mumps, pneumonia and tonsillitis. Common hazards in our environment also cause toxic headaches with exposure.
Most headaches begin in pain-sensing nerves of the muscles and blood vessels that surround your head, neck, and face. They can be triggered by stress, muscle tension, allergens, sleep deprivation, dehydration, and countless other things. Different triggers create different types of pain and symptoms.
What Is a Headache Behind the Eyes? A headache behind your eyes can come with other symptoms. They can be a sign of a cluster headache, tension headache, or even sinus headaches that recur if you have allergies or sinus problems. When you feel stressed or tense, headache symptoms can arise.
A study was done to test the theory that water can help reduce headaches. The researchers confirmed that 47% of individuals in the group who received the instructions to drink water felt improvement. This means one benefit of drinking water is controlling your headaches and migraines.
A dehydration headache “feels like a pressure headache that is sort of squeezing, and it's all across the front of your head,” Lynn says. “There's no aura with it.” Lynn also says she usually gets dehydration headaches when she's traveling and not drinking enough fluids.
A hypertension headache is a pain, often occurring on both sides of the head, pulsating and getting worse with physical activity. The headache is typically accompanied by other symptoms associated with high blood pressure.
Vitamin D deficiency is linked to headaches because it can affect inflammation and how your neurons work. You can increase your vitamin D levels with supplements, vitamin-D rich foods, and sunlight. Taking supplements can reduce how often your headaches occur.
The good news is most headaches are not harmful or dangerous. But, about 10 percent of headaches are a sign of a serious health condition and require an emergency evaluation.