Why do you wake up with a headache?

If you start each morning with a headache, there’s a reason for it.  Consider the following findings, courtesy of the American Migraine Foundation:

• 50 percent of migraines occur during the sleeping hours of 4:00 to 9:00 am.

• 80 percent of people with regular migraines often wake up still feeling tired.

• More than half of patients in headache clinics also report chronic sleep issues.

• People with sleep disorders experience headaches at 2 to 8 times the rate of others.

Clearly, sleep and head pain are closely related.  If you are waking up regularly with a headache, you may have what’s called an “awakening headache.”  The timing of awakening headaches – upon waking or shortly afterwards – is what distinguishes them from other types of headaches.

For some great information, please visit Tuck, whose research team has created guides discussing the connection between headaches and sleep.  You can read their findings here:

The connection between sleep and migraines

The link between sleep disorders and headaches

Why do you wake up with a headache?