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.
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.
Hypnic headache is a rare type of headache. It only occurs when you are sleeping and will cause you to wake up. It is often referred to as 'alarm clock' headache because it happens at the same time several nights of the week. Some people experience it every night.
Getting a headache behind your eyes can happen for a wide range of reasons, including migraine and sleep problems. You may also have nausea, a runny nose, or congestion. You could be sensitive to light, sounds, or smells.
People can wake up with a headache for various reasons, including dehydration, migraine, sleep apnea, and bruxism, when someone grinds or clenches the teeth during sleep. Treatment will depend on the reason for the headache. Many people with migraine experience headaches that begin in the early hours of the morning.
Your headache comes on suddenly and is explosive or violent. Your headache is "the worst ever," even if you regularly get headaches. You also have slurred speech, a change in vision, problems moving your arms or legs, loss of balance, confusion, or memory loss with your headache. Your headache gets worse over 24 hours.
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.
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.
Yes, a migraine attack can trigger tinnitus or happen alongside it. Vestibular migraine is the type of migraine that's most often associated with ringing in your ears. When your ears ring because of vestibular migraine, you might also experience sensitivity to light, vertigo, and pressure in your head and ears.
The "classic" early morning brain tumor headache is uncommon. Nausea, vomiting, an abnormal neurologic examination, or a significant, change in prior headache pattern suggest that the headache may be caused by a tumor.
Depression and Anxiety
Waking up with headaches is a common indicator of depression and insomnia. Anxiety can lead to nighttime teeth grinding or muscle strain, both significant causes of morning headaches.
Migraines are triggered by hormones, diet, caffeine or stress. If the pain is severe and continues on a daily or weekly basis, it may be a result of a cluster headache, which is commonly associated with allergies or stress. Side-of-the-head headaches are also brought on by tension headaches, inducing pressure and pain.
In most cases, high blood pressure does not cause headaches or nosebleeds. The best evidence indicates that high blood pressure does not cause headaches or nosebleeds.
Generally, a lack of sleep is known to trigger headaches and migraines in some people. In a large study of migraine sufferers, half said sleep disturbances contributed to their headaches. And those who slept only six hours a night on average had more frequent and more severe headaches than those who slept longer.
Pillows that are too high can cause the head and neck to round forward adding tension to the suboccipital neck muscles. Too much tension in these muscles may result in you waking up with a headache or developing a headache in the morning once you've gotten out of bed.
Dehydration headaches are secondary headaches because providers know what causes them. You probably have a dehydration headache if: Headache pain goes away or gets better with water and rest. Pain is only in your head (other types of headaches can cause pain in the neck or shoulders).
A vascular headache, or migraine, refers to a group of headache conditions that occur due to changes in blood vessels in the head or neck. They often involve throbbing pain and swelling or dilation of the blood vessels.
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.
In fact, a headache can be an early warning sign of more complicated and serious health issues such as stroke, infection, or high blood pressure.
A migraine is a common neurological condition that causes a variety of symptoms, most notably a throbbing headache on one side of your head. Migraines often get worse with physical activity, lights, sounds or smells. They usually last at least four hours or even days.