8 CAUSES OF MORNING HEADACHES – ZIGIHOW.COM.NG
If there’s one way to guarantee a nasty start to your day, it’s pulling yourself out of bed with a painful headache. Morning headaches are annoying and rather hard to understand. You’ve just gotten up, so what on earth could you have done to cause this pain? As it turns out, there are quite a number of things that can trigger morning headaches. Here are 8 of the most common ones, and what you can do to keep them away.
1. You didn’t get enough sleep
Your body requires 7 to 8 hours of sleep to function properly. Getting any less may result in stress, higher blood pressure, and an increased heart rate. All of these things can lead to a headache. Taking a 20-minute nap or an over-the-counter painkiller can help you make it through the morning, but you need to start getting enough sleep to prevent it from happening again.
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2. You got too much sleep
Sleeping for more than 9 hours a night can decrease the level of serotonin found in the brain. The can reduce blood flow to the brain, triggering a headache. The best way to avoid these headaches is to adjust your sleeping pattern to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per day. Setting an alarm on weekends can be particularly useful.
3. Your endorphins aren’t working as they should be
The body’s production of feel-good endorphin hormones is at its lowest as soon as you wake up, and this can trigger migraines for some people. This is because low levels of endorphins may result in the brain’s blood vessels narrowing, which is where the pain comes from. Since exercise triggers the release of endorphins, an early morning workout session could be your best option for dealing with such a headache.
4. You had too much to drink last night
Even just a few alcoholic drinks can make you dehydrated, and this reduces the amount of blood flowing into your brain, causing headaches. Alcohol can also make it more difficult to get a good night’s sleep, which is another headache trigger. In this case, the best cure would be to rehydrate using water or an electrolyte drink. Adding vitamin C powder to a glass of water can also help your liver get the alcohol out of your system faster.
5. You snore
If you snore through the night and wake up with a pounding headache, then this may be a sign of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition which temporarily interrupts your breathing at night, and can result in your brain receiving less oxygen than it should. If you think you might have sleep apnea, then have a chat with your doctor, who’ll help you find the best solution to manage this condition.
6. You’re late with your coffee
Caffeine is a mild drug that stimulates your nervous system. Like with many other drugs, if you don’t get your fix at the usual time you can start to experience withdrawal effects. A pounding headache is by far one of caffeine withdrawal’s most common symptoms, and the easiest way to get rid of it is to drink a mug of coffee. However, if you’re trying to kick your caffeine habit, doctors recommend cutting down gradually over a few weeks, instead of going cold turkey.
7. You’re depressed
Depression-related headaches can strike at any time of day, due to the decreased levels of serotonin that depression causes. However, they’re particularly common in the morning due to the disturbed sleep cycles that many depressed individuals experience. If you think you might be suffering from depression, it’s best to get professional help sooner rather than later, so that you can start truly living once again.
8. You have high blood pressure
If you’ve got high blood pressure, your blood is actually putting too much pressure on your head. Unsurprisingly, this can be a frequent cause of headaches. Many people with high blood pressure don’t even know they have it, since it doesn’t show many outward symptoms. If your morning headaches are frequent and unexplainable, then it might be a good idea to get your blood pressure tested.