Waking up with a headache of late? Here are 5 reasons why

Waking up to a headache isn’t a pleasant feeling and can upset the whole day. You’d assume that being well-rested after sleeping during the night is going to help you avoid that splitting headache. Turns out, it is fairly common.

In fact, a study published in The Archives of Internal Medicine notes that 1 in 13 people experience morning headache. The bottom line, however, is that this affects the quality of your sleep. Hence, it is important to deal with this issue timely. For this, we need to understand the causes behind morning headaches.

Here are 5 primary reasons you’ve been experiencing morning headaches:

1. You might have a sleeping disorder

Sleep apnea and insomnia are the most common causes that can lead to morning headaches. Such disorders disturb your sleep. Your mind doesn’t feel relaxed and you’re not able to reach a level of deep sleep which is required by your body.

Also, watch:

2. You are under stress

Social environment and high levels of stress play a major role in deciding the quality of sleep, according to the study mentioned. When a person is stressed or anxious, they will experience disturbed sleep and wake up with a morning headache.

3. You might be dealing with bruxism

Bruxism is a term used for grinding the teeth. It usually occurs at night for most people. Your lower jaw is connected to your skull by a joint called temporomandibular. When you grind your teeth, the tension created in this joint can trigger a headache. Apart from morning headache, you might also feel tightness in your jaw when you wake up.

4. Your muscles are strained

The pain accompanying strained muscles won’t let you sleep properly. Hence, you need to ensure that your posture is correct, you have the right kind of mattress and a pillow, and your body isn’t in an uncomfortable position. Always remember to support your neck and your spine properly to avoid muscular issues.

5. This can happen to you as a withdrawal symptom

Many people experience morning headaches when they tend to give up on caffeine. Actually, caffeine affects the blood flow to your brain. Hence, a sudden rise and drop can lead to morning headache. The same can happen when you’re in the process of quitting drugs or alcohol.

Here’s how you can prevent morning headache:

• You can practice sleep-inducing yoga before going to bed.
• Eat a light meal in the night.
• Drink a hot beverage like milk or caffeine-free green tea.
• Take deep breaths.
• Avoid using mobile phones before going to bed. 
• Listen to some soothing music.
• Opt for a head or foot massage.
• Take a hot shower to relax your muscles.
• Avoid alcohol.

Just follow these tips to sleep well and you’ll cut down on your chances of experiencing a morning headache!