What Causes A Person to Wake Up with a Headache?
![Headache upon waking can be caused by migraines, sleep apnea, tooth grinding or medications, among other causes.](https://images.emedicinehealth.com/images/article/main_image/tension-headache.jpg?output-quality=75)
Headaches are a common occurrence, and people with sleep disorders have more headaches than the overall population.
Some causes of waking up with a headache include:
- Insomnia
- Snoring
- Tooth grinding (bruxism)
- Using the wrong pillow
- Sleeping in a room that’s too cold
- Hangover from drinking too much alcohol
- Migraine
- Medication overuse headache (MOH) common with chronic use of:
- Certain pain relievers such as aspirin, acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including ibuprofen and naproxen
- Triptans and ergotamines used to treat migraine
- Opioids such as oxycodone, tramadol, butorphanol, morphine, codeine, and hydrocodone
- Caffeine intake of more than 200mg per day
- Brain tumor (rare)
What Symptoms Accompany Waking Up with a Headache?
Symptoms that may accompany waking up with a headache depend on the cause and may include:
- Insomnia
- Tiredness
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Snoring
- May be a symptom of sleep apnea, which can be dangerous: see a doctor
- Tooth grinding (bruxism)
- Sore and aching jaw
- Using the wrong pillow
- Sore neck and upper back
- Sleeping in a room that’s too cold
- Head and neck tension
- Hangover
- Migraine
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Increased sensitivity to light and sound
- Sweating
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling very hot or very cold
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Medication overuse headache (MOH)
- Nausea
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Weakness/lack of energy
- Restlessness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Memory problems
- Depression
- Brain tumor
- Seizures
- Problems thinking and/or speaking
- Changes in personality
- Tingling on one side of the body
- Stiffness on one side of the body
- Loss of balance
- Vision changes
- Memory loss
- Nausea
- Disorientation
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Anxiety
- Depression
What Is the Treatment for Waking Up with a Headache?
Treatment for waking up with a headache depends on the cause.
- Insomnia
- Practice good sleep hygiene
- Sleep medications
- Snoring
- Lose weight if you are overweight
- Change sleeping positions
- Treat allergies
- Avoid tobacco or alcohol
- Use a CPAP or BiPAP for sleep apnea
- Tooth grinding (bruxism)
- Practice stress management techniques such as regular exercise and meditation
- Improve sleep hygiene habits
- Using the wrong pillow
- Experiment with different types of pillows that are meant for your sleep position
- Sleeping in a room that’s too cold
- Warm up the room
- Hangover
- Prevention is best: avoid or limit alcohol consumption
- Drink plenty of water
- Get plenty of rest
- Don’t smoke
- Migraine
- Pain relievers, including over-the-counter (OTC) medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
- Migraine headache medications
- Anti-emetics to reduce nausea and vomiting
- Medication overuse headache (MOH)
- Discontinuation of overused medication
- Do not stop taking any prescribed medication without first talking to your doctor
- Brain tumor
- Surgery
- Radiation
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
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