7 Common Causes of Morning Headaches You Need to Know About

It's important for anyone suffering from a headache that interferes with daily life to see a doctor so that they may be thoroughly examined and not rely solely on self-diagnosis. To figure out why you're waking up with headaches, a doctor will perform a neurological exam, ask about your medical history, and truly listen to your symptoms.

While you are making an appointment with your doctor, check these 7 health problems that can lead to morning headaches.

1. Primary headache disorder

The most common cause of morning headaches is a primary headache disorder, which means that a person gets the same sort of recurring headache with no clear explanation. Your morning headaches can be caused by primary headache disorders like:

- Migraine. Over 39 percent of Americans have migraine headaches. Migraine symptoms include moderate to severe pain, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and sensitivity to sound. While some people get migraines throughout the day, others may experience them during sleep or in the morning.

- Cluster headache. Cluster headache is the next most prevalent type of headache that affects people in the morning. This is commonly referred to as an alarm clock headache since it occurs at the same time every night. The pain is often terrible, acute, and usually occurs on one side of the face, head, or behind the eye. The pain lasts from 15 minutes to 3 hours.

While migraine and cluster headache are the most common causes of morning headaches, you may also have a hypnic headache or turtle headache. Hypnic headache is another type of alarm clock headache that usually affects people after the age of 50. The pain from this type of headache may last up to 3 hours. Turtle headache is a rare sleep-associated headache with a repetitive pattern that occurs at the same time every night.

2. Sleep disorders

Sleep apnea is a common sleep problem that interferes with sleep. However, many people fail to recognize the link between sleep disorders or sleep-related respiratory diseases (such as COPD) and morning headaches. It's possible that the headache is caused by a shortage of oxygen. Lack of sleep and oversleeping may also lead to morning headaches.

Generally, headaches associated with sleep problems are bilateral or impact both sides. They don’t cause nausea or sensitivity to light or sound, which is one way they can be distinguished from other forms of headaches. If you suspect you have sleep apnea or other sleep problems, it is important to visit a doctor. While causing headaches, sleep problems increase your risk of serious health conditions like heart disease.

3. Medications

While some medications like diuretics (promote dehydration) or sleep medications (don’t allow for deep, restorative sleep) may increase your risk of a morning headache, the most common culprit is painkillers that are used to cure headaches in the first place. Headaches associated with the use of painkillers are called "medication-overuse headaches" or "medication-adaptation headaches".

If your headaches occur frequently, you may need to take medications more than a couple of times per week. It might be a prescription medication, an OTC pain reliever, or even coffee. You may experience headaches in the morning because your body is craving that medicine and it’s been hours or even longer since you’ve had it.

4. Teeth grinding

Bruxism is a term used to describe tooth grinding or jaw clenching. If you clench or grind your teeth, the muscles surrounding the jaw may become quite sore, leading to TMJ disorder. If you experience a lot of tension and pain in your jaw muscle, it can aggravate the underlying headache you have. That means that if you are already prone to migraines and have low-grade discomfort in the temple area, it can reduce the threshold for migraines and increase their frequency.

If you regularly wake up with jaw pain and headaches, you need to seek medical help. You need to get TMJ treatment to relieve morning headaches and reduce the frequency of migraines.

5. Stress

Stress can cause any type of headache, particularly morning migraines. Stress can wreak havoc on the hormonal levels in your body. Some people may be allergic to certain foods. Everyone can become stressed. In the case of morning headaches, stress can typically play a role in triggering pain, but it can also give a double whammy by interfering with sleep and increasing the risk of head pain in the morning. Anxiety or depression that has not been properly treated might also add stress and contribute to morning headaches.

6. Dehydration

Dehydration can cause different types of headaches, including migraines, tension headaches, hangover headaches, and even heat-related headaches. A change in the body's hydration levels might affect intracranial pressure or cause electrolyte imbalances. In addition to headaches, dehydration may lead to confusion, disorientation, considerable drowsiness, and even coma if the dehydration is severe.

Restoring the hydration levels usually help reduce the severity of headache. Drinking enough water throughout the day will also help you prevent headaches in the future.

7. Low blood sugar

Nocturnal hypoglycemia is a thing that happens when blood sugar levels drop during the night. This problem may affect everyone, regardless of their underlying health problems. Along with the headache, you may experience night sweats, thirst, shakiness, anxiety, sluggishness, and brain fog. The link between low blood sugar and migraine isn’t clear because it doesn't affect everyone. But drop in blood sugar during the night’s sleep is a fairly common cause of morning headaches.

If you have diabetes, ask your doctor about how to maintain your glucose levels during sleeping. If you don’t have diabetes, try to eat a small protein-rich snack (slice of turkey or mozzarella) before going to bed. This will help keep your blood sugar stable during the night.