Discover 9 possible causes of headache when waking up and how to treat them

Do you suffer from a headache when you wake up? The doctors Dr. Aline Vitali, neurologist and professor at PUCPR and responsible for the headache clinic at the university, and Dr. Eliane Amaral Ghirelli, neurologist and professor of medicine at PUCPR, shared what are the diseases related to headache upon waking and the possible treatments for each case:

bruxism

The reason bruxism causes a headache when you wake up is “strong and continuous muscle contraction”. As a treatment, she informs that “use of dental plaque, stress control, mental health care, if there are drugs that contribute to bruxism, their suspension should be considered”.

Actions can also be taken to reduce the pain caused. “Physiotherapy can help with pain relief. One can consider the use of drugs that reduce pain sensitivity, such as tricyclic antidepressants”, he states. In addition, bad habits such as “stress and inappropriate use of dental plate” can also generate a headache.

Sleep apnea

People with sleep apnea may suffer from a headache when they wake up because of “decreased cerebral oxygenation”. In this case, the main recommended treatment involves “from weight reduction, to surgery and/or the use of devices such as CPAP”. The bad habits that contribute to the headache in this case are “sleep on your back, drink alcohol”.

nocturnal hypertension

In the case of nocturnal hypertension, the headache on waking is caused by “vascular changes”. The specialist explains that the treatment in this case includes “cardiological evaluation and treatment of hypertension”. Stop taking medication for hypertension contributes to the pain.

chronic migraine

When it comes to migraine, the doctor clarifies that “it can be painful at any time, including when you wake up, when you make excessive use of painkillers, the sleep period can be a period of drug withdrawal, hence the pain when you wake up” .

The treatment ranges from the use of medication to changing lifestyle habits “Prophylactic medication for migraine, with topiramate being the first choice”. Sometimes it is necessary to “discontinue excessive use of painkillers when there is or create healthy routines and habits of life (sleep, physical activity, stress management are the main ones)”, lists Dr. Vitali.

Headaches related to bad habits

A headache upon waking may also not be related to a specific illness. Dr. Eliane Amaral Ghirelli, who is a neurologist and professor of medicine at PUCPR, explains that in these cases, pain is usually associated with bad lifestyle habits. Therefore, to carry out the treatment it is necessary to “recognise and identify these habits and reverse them”.

Dehydration

Drinking little water can be one of the causes of headaches when waking up, since “it can cause dehydration during the night, as you go for a long period of 6 to 8 hours without ingesting liquids and without eating”.

Dr. also informs that long hours of sleep without food can also cause hypoglycemia in people predisposed to developing diabetes, causing headache when waking up. In both cases, the pain is caused by metabolic factors.

Hangover

Consumption of alcoholic beverages can also be one of the causes of headache when waking up “usually abusive of alcoholic beverages, sometimes in smaller amounts also for more susceptible people or if this is being done routinely”. And these are not rare cases, as the specialist points out “Hangover headache occurs in 72% of cases of headache complaint due to the alcohol habit.”

anatomical causes

Changes in the position of the facial muscles and spine, caused by poor sleeping position or inadequate pillow height are another possible cause, as explained by Dr. Ghirelli “can cause the person to wake up with pain, due to the posture of relaxation of the facial muscles, the same thing for cervicogenic headache of cervical spine origin, or people who have some arthrosis degeneration, or due to anatomical differences even, the fact of sleeping with the pillow too high or too low.”

drug abuse

When talking about drugs that can cause headaches when waking up, the specialist emphasizes that it is not just about the use of recreational drugs, but even the “use of many medications and often (in the case of) the people who have to take them. medications to control cardiovascular pressure, diuretics, etc. at night, if you do not take certain precautions with the medication schedule, water intake, adequate sleeping and waking time, you may have a headache when you wake up”.

Physical activity

The influence of physical activity varies according to metabolism “for some people to perform physical activity at night relaxes, but some people, especially some people predisposed to insomnia, trigger the system of being alert even more”. Because of this, she says that some people should maintain physical activity practices at times farther from bedtime “avoid after 9 pm so that the body has time to really relax after physical activity and always with lots of hydration and lots of hydration”. stretching”.

Were you able to identify what could be causing you a headache when you wake up? Also check out this article that presents 15 symptoms of emotional fatigue to know if you need to relax.

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.