If your day starts with a morning headache, this is unlikely to be a good day. Headache in the morning can worsen your mood, concentration, and performance at work. This is a common problem that many people experience and all of them have different causes. Occasional morning headache may have no serious underlying cause. But if you are dealing with this problem regularly, this is a thing to worry about.
Fortunately, many causes of morning headaches are easily preventable, so you can wake up without this debilitating discomfort in your head. To prevent morning headaches, you need to find the thing triggering this problem. Below are some common causes of headaches and ways to treat them.
1. Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder in which you stop breathing during the night’s sleep. You can experience several episodes of sleep apnea during one night. This can cause you to wake up with a headache because of oxygen deprivation and increased pressure in the head.
It can be hard to check on your own whether you have sleep apnea. If your partner often complains that you snore or you feel extremely tired in the morning, these can be signs of sleep apnea. In this case, schedule an appointment with your doctor and describe the symptoms. The doctor can suggest a special device that prevents sleep apnea episodes during the night’s sleep or recommend surgery.
2. Migraines
Migraines can occur at any time of the day. Most people develop them at night or early in the morning. Studies suggest that migraines follow a cycle, so they often occur at the same time. So it is possible that the headache you often experience in the morning is actually a migraine.
Migraines aren’t something that you can control but you can manage them. To manage migraines it is important to identify the trigger point. It can be stress, poor sleeping regimen, an unhealthy diet, and others. If you suspect you have migraines, visit a specialist. The doctor can help identify your triggers and prevent migraine episodes.
3. Teeth grinding
Teeth grinding and jaw clenching aka bruxism is another common cause of morning headaches. When you grind your teeth at night this causes pressure on the jaw causing symptoms like facial pain, headaches, and jaw pain. Bruxism can cause TMJ as well. This condition can aggravate morning headaches and headaches in general. In this case, you may need a TMJ treatment to improve your wellbeing.
If you suspect you have bruxism, visit your doctor and describe the symptoms. Your doctor can suggest a night mouth guard that prevents grinding.
4. Caffeine withdrawal
Caffeine withdrawal is a common problem for people who drink several cups of coffee during the day, but it can happen to anyone. Caffeine in the coffee can impact the blood flow to your brain. If you don’t feel your body with coffee for a long period of time or drink less, this can lead to neurological side effects similar to alcohol withdrawal. One of the common withdrawal symptoms is a headache.
To fight caffeine-related morning headaches, try to avoid coffee caffeine in the afternoon and late at night or drink caffeine-free coffee. By following these recommendations you can decrease the frequency and severity of morning headaches.
5. Insomnia
Lack of sleep is a major risk factor for headaches in general. Morning headaches often go hand in hand with sleep disorders like insomnia. This is a condition when you have difficulty falling or staying asleep. Insomnia can make you feel tired in the morning and sleepy during the day.
In this case, to prevent morning headaches you need to improve your night’s sleep. Insomnia can be a primary condition or caused by other underlying conditions. There are many things that can trigger insomnia. Improper sleep hygiene and high levels of stress often contribute to sleep problems. Among health conditions that can deplete you of sleep are heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. For this reason, it is important to consult your general doctor.