Home Waking up with headaches. Help?

[Upgradable]

I'm pretty well versed on most things medical, but I'm not quite sure how to interpret these?

The last several weeks I've been waking up most mornings with a headache. I've been fine when going to bed. I don't seem to be congested or having problems with allergies or sinuses. I don't drink more than 1 cup of caffiene per day. I do seem to be having a problem with clenching my jaw and just saw the dentist yesterday for my impressions for an occlusal guard. I have an appointment with my doctor on Aug. 12 for my yearly physical and hope to remember to bring this up.

But I wondered if anyone here had any ideas on what might be causing these headaches?

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Are you drinking enough water because dehydration will give you a headache.

The only other thing that i can think of right now is that you might be 'sleeping funny' as in, in an awkward enough position to put your neck out or pinch a nerve in that area to give you a headache. Also if your pillow is old it may not be giving you enough neck support.

I hope you figure out what is causing this soon, headaches are not fun!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Ditto HOT. It's probably a combination of things, the jaw clenching can lead to neck tension which is directly related to headaches. Also, I know for me if I'm dehydrated I'll wake up with a headache. These headaches almost feels like I've got a hangover.

 

[Nashville]

I grind my teeth and I used to wake up feeling like my head was in a vice. I always had a headache when I woke up, so made a few small changes.

I wear a guard now and got a foam memory pillow. I also drink a glass of water before bed. HUGE difference, no more headaches.

 

[Upgradable]

It does feel like a hangover headache, but I make it a point to drink lots of water in the evening. I even have to get up at night to pee!

I've got the memory foam pillow too. I've got fibromyalgia, so I'm very careful about anything I can control, thus all the mentioned causes have been or are being addressed.

Could dry air be causing it? I get really hot (perimenpause too ) so we keep the ceiling fan going and I've had a box fan blowing on me too. The timeline is about consistent with the use of the box fan.

 

[Anastasia]

Uppy,

I'll bet it's the fan in your face. Before you even mentioned it, it was the first thought that came to mind. I can't sleep with a fan in my face, or a ceiling fan for that matter. It stuffs up my nose, which gives me a sinus headache.

I also think that the teeth grinding is a possibility.

Good luck figuring it out!

 

[Lilac]

Sounds like teeth clenching/grinding could be causing it. I grind and clench so much (and now have TMJ) it's actually damaging my teeth and I get such awful headaches because of it. I got a night guard which helped a *lot* and my headaches went away after a couple weeks of wearing it at night. Unfortunately I had to stop wearing the night guard when I got Invisalign, but as soon as I'm done, I'm getting another night guard and hopefully the headaches will go away again once I have it. Hopefully once you get a night guard your headaches will disappear!

 

[Gailey]

Hate to say it Uppy, but might you be "at that age", if you know what I mean.

I suffer with migraine, and whereas I'm not suggesting that's what you have, I sympathise, because the headaches I wake up with are the worst of all.

You might try having a bit more caffeine first thing in the morning and see if that will head them off (sorry for the pun).

 

[Upgradable]

That very well could be part of it, Gailey. But dammit, if that's the case, then I could do without the 4-6 days of hemorrhaging a month!

 

[packrat]

The things that popped into my head are the ones already mentioned-pillow, sleeping funny, water.

The fan thing..We have the ceiling fans going as soon as it gets warm and we don't shut them off until it's fall/winter. The bedroom ones tho, I have to have running the opposite way so the air isn't being blown directly down onto me b/c it drives me complete and total batshit to have air blow on me. It makes my hair blow and tickle my cheek and I tell you, I want to punch somebody when I feel that. We also have a big fan going for white noise, but we aim it away towards the wall (again, I get violent) but when it's those horrible hot/humid summer nights, (oh, and the air ducts to our room don't work, so it gets really dang hot in there) I turn the fan so it blows up to the ceiling, and then the air "settles" down from there and it's not so bad. Cools me off and I don't have to freak out. It's not a box fan, but a round one that has pivot points on the sides, so it can aim up or down besides just straight out.

I also get stuffed up/headachy if I have air directly on me. It makes my head/ears cold and I find that I scrunch up when I sleep too, like I'm trying to get away from it and that makes for uncomfortable mornings. London's bed is under the window, and I noticed that nights I'd leave the window open, in the morning she'd be congested.

 

[Upgradable]

I tried extra water last night and woke up fine this morning. I appreciate all the suggestions.

 

[ksinger]

Wow. Headaches in the morning. Got 'em too. But no reason I can think of. And they're migraines, really, albeit probably mild by migraine standards, and at least they respond to Excedrin.

Uppy, I'm starting the PITA process to see if I have fibromyalgia. I'm sorry to hear you have it. I'd be interested to hear what major symptoms you had/have, how quickly it hit, and how long it took you to suspect it, and the docs to diagnose it. I'm not looking forward to this process. My GP has set me up with a rheumatologist in September, so it will be awhile. In the meantime we found out I'm slightly anemic, and in a brilliant overreaction, he is thinking zebras (gastrointestinal bleeding) for which there is no evidence, instead of horses (the fact that I'm perimenopausal) and are pushing me toward a full GI inspection - at both ends. I'm going to tell the gastro doc a big fat NO on that one. Grr. Doctors. They just aren't happy unless they get to do.....PROCEDURES.

Anyway, if you get time. It might even be worth a thread of its own...