Why do wake up with a headache




















That leads to chemical reactions that create a build-up of waste products. They irritate your nerves, leading to pain. These waste products include:. Blood flow can't resume until the muscle relaxes. At that point, the wastes are flushed out and the irritation can ease. Morning neck-strain headaches tend to be tension headaches or migraines.

They often feature:. Drinking alcohol, especially in large amounts, can contribute to morning headaches.

Hangover headaches are technically called delayed alcohol-induced headaches. They come on the morning after you drink and tend to:. Researchers don't fully understand what causes hangovers and their associated headaches. Potential factors could include:. Hangover symptoms may last anywhere from a few hours to three days. The length depends on how much you drank, how dehydrated you got, and several other factors. Hangovers aren't the only way alcohol leads to morning headaches.

If you get migraines, cluster headaches, or tension headaches, alcohol may be a trigger for them. Since most drinking takes place in the evening or at night, it's common to wake up to them. Some medications can cause headaches as a side effect. Others can cause what's called a medication-overuse headache MOH. Side-Effect Headaches. Several types of medications cause side effect headaches in some people who take them.

They include:. Myriad other medications and some supplements can cause headaches, as well. If you've started a new medication or had a recent dosage increase and start having regular headaches, talk to your healthcare provider. Medication-Overuse Headaches. Ironically, the drugs you take to treat chronic headaches may eventually start causing them. The headache medications work at first, but over time, they become less effective. Typically, you need to take the drugs more than ten days a month for more than three months for this to happen.

When they wear off, your headache comes back—usually worse than it was before you took the meds. If you don't realize this is happening, it's natural to take another dose. That just compounds the problem. Drugs that can cause MOH include:. If your headaches are getting worse despite taking pain medicine, let your healthcare provider know.

Medication-overuse headaches are sometimes called medication-induced headaches, rebound headaches, drug-induced headaches, or medication-misuse headaches. However, not everyone who gets them has overused or misused the medication. Migraines are most common early in the morning. There are several reasons for that:. Muscle strain, alcohol, and medications all can trigger various types of headaches. Medications may cause them as a side effect or by losing their effectiveness and resulting in medication-overuse headaches.

The right treatments for your morning headaches depends mainly on what's causing them. If they're secondary headaches, treating the underlying cause may help alleviate them. Treatments for common causes of morning headaches include:. While you try treatments for the underlying cause of your headaches, see what options your healthcare provider recommends for managing your pain. The connection between poor sleep and headaches is one to take seriously. If you often don't sleep well and have regular headaches, you may benefit from better sleep hygiene.

You may improve your sleep by:. Talk to your healthcare provider about the reasons you aren't sleeping well. It may be due to an undiagnosed sleep disorder or another medical issue. Common morning headache types include tension, migraine, cluster, and medication-overuse headaches.

They can be caused by a diverse array of triggers. These include sleep disorders, other medical conditions, and things like alcohol and medications. Treatments for morning headaches depend on the underlying cause. Treating a medical condition that triggers them may alleviate your headaches. Getting good sleep may help, as well.

Pain can have a major impact on your life. Getting control of chronic headaches can be a challenge and you may face frustrations along the way. You may want to keep a headache journal with information about:. Teach Me. Common Reasons for Your Morning Headache Migraines and other primary headache disorders Migraines are the most common type of headache, affecting nearly 30 million Americans. Insomnia Tossing and turning can not only be frustrating but doing so can definitely be a trigger for headaches—even migraines.

Bruxism Has anyone told you it sounds like you are chewing on rocks at night? Restless leg syndrome RLS Recent studies have shown a significant association between RLS and primary headache disorders, such as migraines. Tips to help combat morning headaches Achieving restful and restorative sleep can be a struggle for many people. Practice good sleep hygiene by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. Use your bed only for sleeping and not for other activities, such as watching TV.

Avoid heavy meals and stimulants, such as alcohol, close to bedtime. Reduce screen time at night. Neurosciences Wellness Sleep. November 09, November 04, This is obviously rare and not the most likely cause of morning head pain, so don't freak out and assume the worst.

If you did have a brain tumor , Dr. It's much more likely that your morning headaches are caused by something much less serious. That said, looking after your sleep hygiene in general is an excellent preventive measure, given how a poor or irregular sleep schedule ups your chance of headaches.

If it happens regularly, though, talk to your doctor so you can find out what's causing them—and fix it. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. You have insomnia. You could be grinding your teeth at night.

You had an alcoholic beverage or several before bed. In rare cases, it could be something more serious. Korin is a former New Yorker who now lives at the beach. Treatment is available for people who have anxiety and depression, difficulty sleeping, and frequent early morning headaches. A doctor may prescribe antidepressant medication. Learn more about the links between anxiety and sleep here.

The same study also identified a link between headaches and the use of alcohol and drugs. People who consumed more than 6 servings of alcohol per day had more frequent early morning headaches than those who drank 1—2 servings of alcohol per day. People who took certain drugs for depression, anxiety, or insomnia — such as Xanax, Valium, or Zyprexa — reported a 7. Learn how to relieve hangover symptoms here.

Bruxism is a tension-related disorder that can cause a person to grind or clench their teeth, either in their sleep or while they are awake. They may not realize that they are doing it.

Sleep bruxism is a specific type of sleep-related movement disorder. People who grind their teeth in their sleep may also snore and have a higher risk of sleep apnea. Treatment options for bruxism include :. Some researchers have looked at drug treatments and botulinum toxin Botox injections for bruxism, but there is not enough evidence yet to prove that these work. If bruxism stems from a neurological condition, a doctor may offer bruxism treatment that is specific to the condition.

Migraine is a common cause of early morning headaches. If a person wakes up with a pulsating or throbbing headache and nausea or vomiting, this may indicate a migraine episode. One study looked at the link between sleep problems and headaches in 1, young people, aged 12— The group with migraine woke up more often during the night than those with tension-type headaches or no headache.

According to the American Migraine Foundation , people with migraine are between two and eight times more likely to experience sleep problems than those without. Sleep problems also contribute to morning headaches.

Other health conditions may exert pressure on pain-sensitive nerve endings, resulting in a secondary headache.



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