'Why do you sometimes wake up with headaches? Gorilla Gesund explains'
Headaches are really unpleasant. In most cases, we know why we get headaches and can control the triggers. For example, too much alcohol consumption or too little sleep can both lead to headaches upon waking. But what causes the headaches that torment you in the middle of the night or in the morning when you wake up? Sleep should be the time when our bodies and brains rest and recharge, so waking up with a headache for no apparent reason can be extremely frustrating.
"Before we address what causes nighttime headaches, let us consider three common types of headaches that occur at night or right after waking up. Examining the headaches, their location, severity, and other accompanying symptoms can help determine the type of headache and identify which treatments may be effective."
1. Morning headaches
Waking up with a headache in the morning is no fun. Morning headaches can range from a dull, throbbing pain to a sharp, stabbing pain or a feeling of tightness in the head. From migraines to tension, the types of headaches in the morning can occur immediately after waking up or shortly thereafter.
2. Hypnic Headaches
Hypnic headaches, sometimes referred to as "alarm" headaches, are rare and affect less than 1% of people. They occur during sleep, which distinguishes them from migraines or cluster headaches that can occur at any time of day or night. Like the nightmare that they are, only hypnic headaches are bold enough to occur only at night.
Common symptoms of hypnic headaches are dull or throbbing pain affecting one or both sides of the head, multiple nighttime awakenings due to headaches several times a month, nausea, sensitivity to light or sound, or watery eyes or a runny nose.
3. Cluster headaches
Cluster headaches are characterized by intense throbbing pain in the eye, around the eye, or behind the eye, and can last from 20 minutes to three hours. These headaches can also cause the eyelid to droop, redness or tearing to occur, or the nostril side where the pain occurs to swell. Cluster headaches can occur at any time, even during sleep. When this happens, an attack usually occurs within an hour of falling asleep, and the pain is severe.
The Top 6 Main Causes of Headaches During Sleep
All three of these headaches can occur during sleep and undoubtedly affect your sleep quality. If you have any of these symptoms or are simply wondering: "Why do I get headaches when I wake up?" - there are likely several reasons to consider, such as the following 6 culprits for sleep headaches.
1. Sleep disorder due to insomnia
Studies have shown that sleep disorders and headache disorders share common brain structures and pathogenic mechanisms that often lead to the co-occurrence of tension-type headaches, migraines, and sleep disorders - for example, 50% of individuals with tension-type headaches or migraines have sleep disorders.
2. Schlafapnoe
Sleep apnea occurs when you stop breathing for short periods during the night. Naturally, our body does not respond well to any form of suffocation, and it can lead to a throbbing headache in the morning. Headaches associated with sleep apnea typically present as a pressing pain on both sides of the head rather than the pulsating pain usually associated with migraines or hypnic headaches.
3. Emotional Factors
Sleep headaches can arise from emotional reasons, such as stress in the form of worries and fatigue - both of which can disrupt sleep and trigger headaches. Tension headaches can occur, for example, when you go through a stressful day without giving your body the chance to rest and recover. If you think that emotional reactions are sabotaging your sleep quality, try exercise or meditation to manage the stress.
4. Behavioral Factors
"Unfortunately, we can often be our own worst enemies. If you're wondering what causes morning headaches, it's worth taking a closer look at your habits during the day and before bedtime. For example, we recently talked about the phenomenon of 'revenge sleep procrastination,' where people stay awake longer than desired to regain control over the night because they have (perhaps subconsciously) made themselves lose influence over the events of the day."
5. Wrong sleeping position
What about your sleeping position - can sleeping incorrectly cause morning headaches? The short answer is yes; certain sleeping positions can put unnecessary pressure on the neck and shoulders, leading to tension headaches. If you suspect this might be the cause, try different sleeping positions, a new neck pillow, or a different mattress with more or less support.
6. Mysterious Causes
Despite increasing research into the mysteries of sleep and sleep-related disorders, there are still phenomena that science cannot really explain, such as hypnic headaches and exploding head syndrome. We have already talked about hypnic headaches and noted how rare they are. Another rare and mysterious sleep disorder is exploding head syndrome (yes, you read that right).
This parasomnia (i.e., an unwanted event that occurs during sleep) occurs when a thunderous noise wakes you from sleep. People usually describe this noise as a loud bang, a clattering of pans, or an explosion. Affected individuals have also described flashes of light or muscle twitches accompanying the noise. Although the exploding head syndrome is distressing, it is usually painless. However, some report a sudden stabbing pain in the head that accompanies it.
All in all, sleep headaches are common and are triggered by many emotional, physical, environmental, and mysterious factors. Science simply does not have all the answers yet - at least not yet. However, if you are looking for ways to alleviate headaches caused by sleep, we recommend starting with good sleep hygiene.
Our website also offers a wealth of information and resources about sleep and how to master it. However, if you take the right steps to ensure a restful night and still wake up with headaches, it is time to reach out to your healthcare provider for further assistance.
