Waking up with a headache! Ugh!

[curly_kate]

The past 3 mornings, I have woken up with a headache. The first morning, I had had a glass of wine the night before, so I thought it might be the culprit. No wine, and I've woken up with the same headache the past 2 mornings. I take some advil, and it goes away, but I'm not sure what's causing it. I am a little stuffy when I wake up, but that goes away within an hour. Any thoughts? Or any ideas of how to stop it?

 

[abifae]

Probably sinuses. You can sleep sitting up a bit to let them drain easier. I took a steam bath when I woke this morning to loosen me all up.

Hoorah for cold season!

 

[TanksHill]

A couple things I would relate it to if it was me.....

1 what I ate the night before.

2 dehydration.. not enough water the day before.

3 The furnace or heater. If the house is too stuffy I get a stuffed nose. If the house is too hot I get a headache. I have big issues if the furnace filters are dirty.

I hope ou feel better.

g

 

[MorelCabin]

You could be coming down with something...or it could be weather related. Try putting your hands in very hot water...it usually gets rid of a headache pretty quick, but you will have to do it a few times during the day

 

[tamlynn]

night headaches can also be caused by grinding your teeth in your sleep or a bad pillow. Lots of things.

 

[lorihadams]

I get headaches when I eat gluten the night before but that's probably not it for you....

What about adding a humidifier? If your sinuses are swollen and causing the headache then when you take the advil and the swelling goes down then the headache goes away.

My son has started in with the nosebleeds since the colder weather arrived so we had to put a humidifier in his room and that has made a big difference.

 

[curly_kate]

I thought it might have to do with dry air, but I've run the humidifier the past 2 nights, and it hasn't helped. Interesting tip about running hot water over my hands, Morel. I've never heard that, but I'll have to try it. We also had that snowstorm in the Midwest blow thru last night, so maybe the change in air pressure caused it.... Thanks for the tips, guys!!

 

[Boogity]

I'm convinced that barometric pressure changes caused by oncoming weather causes some of my headaches.

lori h - I hate to come across as a complete moron (which I am sometimes) but what do you mean when you say "when I eat gluten the night before"? What the heck is gluten?

 

[lwheelr]

I used to get almost daily sinus headaches, from all sorts of things. My sinus passages are just abnormally small, I guess, so even a little bit of swelling gives me a screamer of a headache.

They were caused mostly by foods or airborne irritants. Pretty much any chemical will do it, whether I breathe it, eat it, or wear it. I've got them down to less than 1 a month now though.

Generally morning headaches can be sinus, postural, or breathing related.

Postural are from sleeping in a position that doesn't work well for you - arthritis in your neck can aggravate that. Solution is to try a different pillow. This will usually get worse near morning, and will keep getting worse until you get up, after which it fairly rapidly disappears. Typically pain will start in your neck and radiate upward, but what you'll notice most is the headache.

Breathing related headaches will usually be dull, and will typically linger for a few hours. Usually it means you are not getting enough oxygen while sleeping. This can be a temporary, or a chronic problem, caused by irritated tissues if temporary, or by age or weight changes if it is chronic (pregnancy can also make it worse). Usually your airway just gets a little less flexible - swelling in the soft palette, loosening of muscle tone, or other changes in the soft palette area can also do it. Heavy snoring is the principle key that this is an issue. You'll generally also feel like you didn't sleep well - hard to get up, a little sluggish through the day.

Sinus headaches can be caused by sensitivities to anything! Most common are pollens, molds, dust, or chemical exposure in foods, but perfumes, laundry detergent, or other exposures can also do it.

Diagnostically, the first question to ask is, "What changed?". Look for a recent change, that occurred some time before the headaches appeared. Weather, change of brands of products you use, windows getting damp and possibly growing mold, new food or restaurant, etc.