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5 Reasons Why You Experience Morning Headaches

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    Morning headache is probably the worst thing to start your day with. Many people experience morning headaches for different reasons. Some of them aren’t dangerous and require just some lifestyle changes, while others may cause significant health problems. Sometimes headaches just happen, but if you experience them almost every morning, this is a reason to pay more attention to your health. 

    Below are 5 possible reasons why you might experience morning headaches. 

    1. Temporomandibular joint disorder

    The temporomandibular joint is a joint that connects your skull and lower jaw. Because of night’s teeth grinding, the temporomandibular joint may become tender and tense. Tension in the temporomandibular joint often results in morning headaches, jaw pain, ear pain, and tooth sensitivity.

    If you suspect you have a temporomandibular joint disorder, talk with your doctor about it. The doctor can recommend you wearing a special protective guard at night to prevent grinding. Besides, people often grind their teeth because of stress. Practicing relaxing techniques like meditation or yoga can help you reduce stress levels and treat TMJ disorder

    2. Sleep apnea

    Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder. Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing during sleep until your brain wakes you up. This decreases the quality of your night’s sleep and can trigger morning headaches. Besides, during episodes of sleep apnea, the supply of your brain with oxygen decreases. This can increase pressure in your head and cause headaches. 

    It can be hard to figure out whether you have sleep apnea on your own. But if your partner claims you snore a lot and you feel exhausted while sleeping enough, visit your doctor to discuss this issue. Your doctor can conduct a sleep study to determine whether you have sleep apnea. If you have this condition, the doctor will prescribe a special device that keeps your airways open. Losing excessive weight may also help treat sleep apnea. 

    3. Insomnia

    Insomnia is a common cause of headaches. Because of sleep deprivation, you may experience headaches in the morning and during the day. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body cannot recover and rest well. If you regularly cannot fall or stay asleep, the chance you are dealing with a sleep disorder. 

    To prevent insomnia-related morning headaches, you need to improve your sleep. A wide range of things can cause insomnia. Among them are stress, poor sleep hygiene, medical conditions, and mental health problems. Don’t try to solve this problem on your own. Schedule a visit to your doctor to get examined and find the root cause of insomnia. 

    4. Oversleeping

    Sleeping too much is another common cause of headaches. For an average person aged between 18-60 will be enough to sleep about 7-9 hours. Oversleeping can disrupt the balance of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin helps regulate your circadian rhythms, the natural cycle of your sleep-wake cycle. This can seriously decrease the quality of sleep and trigger morning headaches.

    If you sleep more than 9 hours and frequently experience morning headaches, try to change your sleeping habits. You need to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Avoid using electronic devices or drinking coffee several hours before bed. If these recommendations don’t help, consult your doctor. 

    5. Caffeine withdrawal

    You may experience caffeine withdrawal-related morning headaches if you drink several cups of coffee a day. When you consume a lot of caffeine, it affects the blood flow to your brain. If you don’t get the same amount of caffeine, it can cause side effects similar to alcohol withdrawal. This can trigger morning headaches and other unpleasant symptoms. 

    To prevent headaches caused by caffeine withdrawal, try to avoid drinking caffeine in the afternoon. You can reduce your intake of caffeine by replacing regular coffee with a decaffeinated one.