Headaches cause a lot of discomfort at any time of day, but morning headaches can ruin your whole day. Unfortunately, you are not the only one who struggles with them. Amit Sachdev, MD, associate Professor and Director of neuromuscular medicine at Michigan state University, says that the morning headaches are a very common phenomenon, which can occur for different reasons.

Headaches do not necessarily become regular. But if you again and again Wake up with them, there must be a reason. Having identified the cause, you will be able to understand what treatment you need. Here are a few potential reasons:

You have a migraine

The most common time of day for migraine from 4 to 9 o’clock in the morning. Jennifer kriegler, MD, the doctor at the headache Center Cleveland clinic, reports that during this time your body produces less endorphins and enkephalins which are natural pain relievers. But the adrenaline, on the contrary, is released in large quantities during the early morning hours. It affects blood pressure, as well as the expansion or contraction of the blood vessels, causing a migraine.

Migraine often is a genetic disease, that is, to affect its course is not always possible. However, the doctor Sahdev claims that something done are possible. The key is to identify your stress triggers, for example, poor sleep and diet and try to avoid them. If you develop a migraine, rest, ice, relaxation and meditation is something that can really help. If the headache worsens, you must contact your doctor who will select the most effective treatment.

You have sleep apnea

Sleep apnea, a potentially serious disease, which provokes the constant stopping of breathing during sleep. This disease can cause headaches in the morning. Vernon Williams, MD, a sports neurologist and Director of the Center for clinical neuroscience and pain at the Kerlan-Jobe in Los Angeles, says that a headache caused by lack of oxygen and increased pressure may be a result of sleep apnea.

Unfortunately, self-diagnose myself is almost impossible, but if your partner complains that you snore, and you often feel headaches or fatigue, although sleep a sufficient amount of time, be sure to consult your doctor.

The cause of the headache – caffeine

Headache may occur if you drink several cups of coffee. Sachdev but the doctor said that this can happen in the opposite case. Caffeine affects the blood flow to the brain, so if some of the days you drank less coffee than usual, it may cause neurological side effectssimilar to those occurring during withdrawal from drugs or alcohol. One such effect is a severe headache.

To avoid headaches caused by caffeine, Dr. kriegler recommends to avoid drinking caffeine in the afternoon. If you are trying to completely give up caffeine, but you get headaches, do it gradually. Should not abruptly stop drinking coffee drinks. Start to drink a half portion, to which you are accustomed, and slowly sobralite consumption.

Do you grind your teeth at night

Grinding of teeth can cause stress to the temporomandibular joint (ANS)that connects your lower jaw with the base of the skull and can also cause changes in jaw position. All this leads to tension, which becomes a cause of headache.

If you suspect that your morning headaches caused by this bad habit (or your dentist noticed the change), talk with your doctor about the next steps, which may include wearing a protective mouth guard at night.

You have been drinking alcohol before sleep

Undoubtedly, more chances to earn a headache after a noisy party ended in the morning than after a glass of wine with dinner. But a headache may occur in both cases. Certain compounds in alcohol can have a negative impact on the neurotransmitters in your brain, causing headaches or even causing a migraine, says an expert on women’s health Jennifer Wieder. Alcohol also is a diuretic (this means it makes you constantly go to the toilet), so many people Wake up with severe dehydration after alcohol consumption, which may aggravate the headache of a hangover.

The solution is quite simple: do not abuse alcohol. And, if you notice that certain types of alcohol affect your body worse than others, you may want to abandon them altogether, replacing them with something less toxic.

Sometimes the cause can be a serious disease

Dr. Williams is serious about headaches. In their methods, he always pays attention to the complaints of patients, because there is a chance that this could be due to something potentially serious, like high blood pressure from a brain tumor. Dr. Kriegler says that people with brain tumors often Wake up with a headache from the intense pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid. If a tumor causes swelling, this will stretch the cover of the brain and cause headaches.

This is obviously rare and not the most likely cause of the morning pain in the head, so do not worry and expect the worst. If you have a brain tumor, Dr. Williams says you probably will also experience symptoms such as vision changes, loss of vision, impaired balance, drowsiness and changes in your mental state. Much more likely that your morning headaches are caused by something less serious.

So, if you sometimes Wake up with a headache, it probably poses no serious danger. But if it happens regularly, talk to your doctor to find and fix the cause of the headache.