According to the latest research, about 1 in 13 people suffer from headaches, especially immediately as they wake up. However, as it seems, this phenomenon isn’t discussed really often. Waking up with a headache can be very challenging and have a negative impact on your everyday life. Moreover, dealing with headaches can impede your mood, ability to concentrate, and throw you off-balance.

You might think that waking up with a headache is a normal thing and there is nothing you can do to avoid it. However, this isn’t true. In fact, there are many different causes behind this experience. So, depending on which type of a headache you have, the solution might be right there.

Types of Morning Headaches

There are several types of morning headaches you might deal with. Some of the most prominent ones include tension headaches and migraines. The tension headaches are usually triggered by muscle contractions in the neck and head. The main cause of this type of headaches is looking at your screen for a long time, poor posture, smoking, fatigue, and stress.

On the other hand, migraines are severe chronic conditions whose culprit isn’t known yet. If you have a migraine, the pain you’ll experience is severe and might be even intensified by loud noises, strong smells, exhaustion, and hormone level fluctuations. Most of the migraines usually happen between 4 and 9am.

Causes of Early Morning Headaches

In case it often happens to start the day with a headache, there are numerous reasons which might be triggering the pain. So, these are some of the most possible reasons for your morning headache:

Alcohol Consumption or Certain Medications

You might be waking up with a morning headache which is also known as a hangover if you have had a few extra alcoholic drinks the night before. Likewise, there are certain medications which might cause the pain. So, the best thing you can do in such cases is to avoid drinking too much alcohol and hydrate properly.

Having Strained Neck Muscles

Sleeping in uncomfortable positions on poor quality pillow and mattress might cause strained neck muscles which trigger pain and headaches. Thus, it’s very important to invest in a high-quality pillow which will support your head properly so you can limit the headaches.

Dealing with Anxiety or Depression

If you are experiencing anxiety or depression, they might lead to tension and morning headaches. Going to bed in a good mood and trying to cheer up will definitely improve your mornings.

Experiencing Sleeping Disorders

Headaches are often a result of some sleeping disorder, such as sleep apnea or insomnia. These headaches usually appear because you can’t get a good night’s sleep and you wake up tired with a morning headache.

Bruxism

Bruxism means that you’re inadvertently grinding your teeth, especially while sleeping. This is a common symptom for both anxiety and sleep apnea. So, if you grind your teeth while sleeping, make sure you undergo a home sleep test to be diagnosed for sleep apnea.

How to Address Morning Headaches

There are several steps which you can undertake to address this issue. So, most of the steps require to take simple lifestyle changes which will definitely improve your morning.

• Sleep in a quiet, cool, and dark room.
• Always sleep for seven to eight hours of sleep per night, which is the normal range for adults.
• Have the same bed routine every night, going and waking up at the same time.
• Keep the electronic gadgets away from your bedroom.
• Avoid consuming alcohol and caffeine before going to bed.
• Get tested to find out if you have sleep apnea which is a widespread but underdiagnosed sleep disorder.
• Consult your doctor to see if you maybe have insomnia or you are dealing with depression.
• Invest in a high-quality pillow and mattress.
• Consult your doctor about the medications you’re taking as they might cause those headaches.