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August 13, 2019

Resmed

Waking Up with a Headache? Tips for Better Sleep

Sleep Health Sleep and Health Sleep Apnea Snoring Insomnia
wake-up-in-the-morning-with-headache wake-up-in-the-morning-with-headache

When you wake up in the morning, you should feel rejuvenated, well-rested and ready to hit the ground running. But if a headache is literally the first thing that pops into your mind every morning, that’s not OK. A headache is not a normal way to start your day!

So if you can't link the thumping in your head to a big night on the town or binge-watching your favourite TV series, it might be your body's way of trying to tell you something.

Once you’ve worked out what’s causing your morning headaches you can take steps towards finding an effective treatment so you can wake up feeling fresh and ready to enjoy your day.

Common causes of recurring morning headaches1, 2, 3

Sleep apnea
  • Insomnia
  • Teeth grinding
  • Blocked sinuses
  • Migraine
  • Tension headache
  • Overuse of pain medication
  • Depression
  • Caffeine withdrawal
  • Hangover
  • Very high blood pressure
  • Neurological problems

Could it be sleep apnea?

A headache that regularly hits as soon as you wake in the morning, is a very common symptom of sleep apnea or another sleep disorder.4

If you have untreated sleep apnea, you may experience headaches in the morning due to the strain that the condition puts on your body.5 Sleep apnea partially or completely blocks your airway during sleep, meaning the amount of oxygen being transported to your brain is heavily reduced. As well as those nasty morning headaches, this lack of airflow may also put you at risk for other serious health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

If you're not raring to go and seize the day when you wake up because a hammering headache is setting you back, it's time to seek a diagnosis.
“Thankfully, depending on what’s causing the headaches, there’s a range of treatments available and you could be waking up headache-free before you know it!”

Get a sleep apnea assessment

sleep-apnea-sleep-assessment
Take our free sleep assessment

This test is designed to help identify whether or not you are at risk of sleep apnea.

Take free sleep assessment

It’s time to take your life back and get rid of those frustrating morning headaches. The first step is to take our free sleep assessment to see if your symptoms could be an indication of sleep apnea.

After reviewing your results, we may suggest that you complete a sleep study, which you can do in your own home. During the study, a sensor will collect your sleep data, which we can use to determine whether you have sleep apnea. The data from your test will be sent to a health care professional to analyse and you’ll receive a treatment recommendation a few days later.

It might sound a bit daunting, but the test is really easy to do and we’ll help you along the way. 

Keep in mind that sleep apnea is common. Plus, the quicker you seek help, the sooner you’ll be starting each day off on the right foot.

How to get rid of your morning headaches

You’ll need to wait a few days for your sleep apnea test results before you’ll know for sure if you have sleep apnea. But in the meantime, here are some steps you can take to get your mornings back into shape.

One of the first steps you can take is to improve your diet and review your exercise routine. Reducing weight (if you’re overweight) can help improve sleep apnea as well as its symptoms.

In terms of what you’re eating and drinking, you should try to limit caffeine and alcohol and avoid caffeinated drinks altogether for at least 4 hours prior to bedtime.6

Your sleep study test results

If your sleep apnea test comes back positive, this is actually good news as treating your sleep apnea is likely to get rid of your morning headaches. Based on the test results, we can help determine which treatment option may be best for you. 

The gold standard treatment for most people suffering from sleep apnea is CPAP therapy.

Once your treatment begins you should gradually notice improvements and can look forward to getting the most out of your mornings again. 

But without your headache alarm waking you up in the early hours, be careful not to sleep in!

Do you experience morning headaches? Start by completing our free sleep assessment now.

Take free sleep assessment
Reference
1

 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320133.php accessed 28 June 2019.

2

https://headaches.org/2007/10/25/ accessed 28 June 2019.

3

Larner, A.J.Practical Neurology 2009. 9(2), 80–84.

4

https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/default.htm accessed 28 June 2019.

5

https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-disorders/obstructive-sleep-apnoea accessed 8 November 2023.

6

https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-topics/caffeine-food-alcohol-smoking-and-sleep accessed 28 June 2019.

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