Why You Wake Up With A Headache

[caption id="attachment_834806" align="alignleft" width="1068"] Bigstockphoto.com/Young woman suffering from headache in bed at home[/caption] Pain relievers are a regular part of a complete breakfast for many people around the world. If you only wake up with a headache, but it manages to subside throughout the day, you may not think much of it. It’s certainly a pain (literally) to deal with during those first couple hours of work, but by the time you have lunch, the pain is gone, so the headache is a distant memory. You shouldn’t, however, ignore morning headaches or accept them as a regular part of life. When your head hurts, it’s trying to tell you something about your health and your habits. Plus, anything that calls for daily pain relievers should be looked into. Taking pain relievers regularly can lead to other health problems like stomach bleeding, or dependence issues. So, here are some of the reasons you wake up with a headache. [caption id="attachment_718764" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Your room is too cold

If you like to sleep in a cool room, make sure you didn’t turn the thermostat down too low. Sleeping in a cold room is associated with waking up with headaches, otherwise known as cold stimulus headaches. For the same reason, many people get a sudden headache if they’re walking in cold gusts of wind.             [caption id="attachment_700393" align="alignleft" width="468"] Shutterstock[/caption]

You wake up before 8

Between the hours of 4 am and 8 am, your body produces the lowest amount of its natural pain relievers, namely endorphins and enkephalins. Your morning headache may not necessarily come from not sleeping enough, but rather from when you get up. If you do have the luxury of shifting your schedule to get up at 8 or after, give that a try.               [caption id="attachment_614099" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

You’re coming off a stimulant

If you drink a lot of coffee throughout the day, or you take certain medicines that contain a stimulant like Excedrin or Claritin, you could wake up with a headache. This occurs because, during the night, the stimulant wears off, causing the blood vessels in your brain to constrict. You only notice the resulting pain once you wake up.     [caption id="attachment_707718" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Sleeping with the windows open

If you do suffer from allergies or sinus problems, you shouldn’t sleep with the windows open. Doing so can let in the irritants that make your allergies act up. These can cause sinus headaches, experienced mainly in the front of the face and behind the eyes.             [caption id="attachment_626578" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

You snore

If you have sleep apnea, that means your brain isn’t receiving enough oxygen. When this happens, your blood vessels can start to expand, which can cause a headache. This is just one of the many reasons to treat sleep apnea.         [caption id="attachment_717213" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

A change in weather

A change in weather, like a sudden surge in humidity, also means a change in air pressure. Many individuals are quite sensitive to a change in air pressure (if this is the case, you’ll also notice you get headaches when you fly).               [caption id="attachment_707726" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

You use the wrong pillow

Ideally, the position of your spine, neck, and head when you sleep should be similar to that of it when you are standing. Pillows with too abrupt of an angle can cause tension in your neck and head.               [caption id="attachment_707725" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

You can’t sleep

There is a strong link between insomnia and tension headaches. If your insomnia is due to stress and worry, then you are certainly prone to developing headaches since stress can trigger them. Finding natural ways to relieve your insomnia could relieve your headaches.             [caption id="attachment_701349" align="alignleft" width="420"] Shutterstock[/caption]

You oversleep

Oversleeping can interfere with your body’s normal production of serotonin. It can also cause certain neurotransmitters in your brain to fire differently, which can lead to headaches.               [caption id="attachment_626316" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

You grind your teeth

Ask your dentist at your next visit if she notices signs of teeth grinding. Nighttime teeth grinding can  lead to headaches because of the pressure your jaw is putting on the surrounding muscles.           [caption id="attachment_693720" align="alignleft" width="420"] Shutterstock[/caption]

You sleep with an air freshener

The scent of that cinnamon air freshener may lull you to sleep, but the chemicals that cause that scent could wake you up with a headache. If you like a certain scent in your bedroom, go the all natural way by keeping that item in your room (like cinnamon sticks or magnolias). You could even place a bit of essential oil on your palm, and put that over your face before you go to bed.                   [caption id="attachment_696363" align="alignleft" width="439"] Shutterstock[/caption]

You only relax on the weekends

If you lead a life that is go-go-go during the week, and you only stop to relax on the weekends, then you’ll probably wake up Saturday and Sunday morning with a headache. The blood vessels in your brain become engorged when your mind is overactive. Once you relax, they constrict and dilate, which can cause a headache. Find ways to relax throughout the week, so the process isn’t so trying on your brain's blood vessels.           [caption id="attachment_719124" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

You argue before bed

If you go to bed angry, the muscles in your scalp will tense up throughout the night, and you’ll wake up with a headache. If there is a task you have to do every day that makes you a little upset, try to do it earlier in the day.               [caption id="attachment_702808" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

You eat aged cheese and cured meats at night

If you love to have a little meat and cheese board before dinner every night, or salami and cheese as a late night snack, you may wake up with a headache. Aged cheese like feta, gorgonzola, and brie, as well as cured meat like hot dogs, bacon, and sausage, have been associated with migraines.             [caption id="attachment_696362" align="alignleft" width="420"] Shutterstock[/caption]

You don’t eat enough at night

Hunger is a major headache trigger for many individuals. If you are on a diet and limiting your caloric intake at night, you may very well wake up with a headache. It’s easy to ignore the hunger if you sleep through it, but it will wake you up with a lot of pain.

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