Headaches every morning

[CactusUmbrella]

I keep waking up with a headache every single day. Sometimes it goes away, sometimes it doesn't. Has anyone else had this and if so, what did you do to get it to stop?!

Do you have a carbon monoxide detector? Check your gas boiler.

Is it possible you are grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw overnight @CactusUmbrella - as that was what made my head ache on waking every morning during a difficult few months?

If it is that, you can buy a mouth guard to help, or get the dentist to make one for you.

@TeaAndStrumpets Our gas has been turned off for a number of years so I think we're safe on this front!

@ohnoDS You might be onto something there - I am definitely a teeth grinder. I do have a mouth guard that I acquired recently but I've been forgetting to use it.. so I'll start using that religiously!

Thank you both!

Excellent!

Don't want to worry you, but headaches on waking are a bit of a red flag. Definitely worth seeing your GP.

Could you have sleep apnoea?

New pillows meaning a better sleeping position sorted mine.

Sleep apnoea. Once I was diagnosed and started using a CPAP every night I was no longer waking up with a headache every day. The headache was from the lack of oxygen overnight and not getting good deep sleep. Nothing would shift the headaches. No amount of pain relief helped.

Definitely see the GP if the mouth guard doesn't work.

Are you taking painkillers? Could it be medication overuse headaches?

Maybe check your blood pressure as waking with a headache can be a sign it's high.

On the teeth grinding, my DH has been a teeth grinder all his life. His teeth are damaged from it. He got a proper grinding mouthguard made by a dentist to protect his teeth. It helped. Once he was also diagnosed with sleep apnoea and started using a CPAP his teeth grinding stopped. He no longer needs the mouthguard.

Another one saying please see your GP. There are lots of fairly innocent explanations for headaches in the morning but also some more worrying ones. You need to seek medical advice.

How old are you?

Could be many reasons but this was part of peri for me

Teeth grinding or neck position maybe

I get AM headaches if I don't drink enough, very much like a hangover

But definitely see your GP

Yep me. It's been three weeks now. I've got an mri booked in a couple of weeks referred by the GP.

stuffy overheated room, alleviated by partly open window overnight
dehydration, not enough water before bed, or drink through the night
all the above ^

Definitely see your GP. I had this and although I don't want to worry you unduly, and there are plenty of less sinister things it could be, for me it was a symptom of something really very serious. Better to get checked out.

Could be any number of benign things, but (sorry to jump to scary possibility but I noticed it hadn't been mentioned outright) this can be a sign of a brain tumour since the swelling in the skull increases positionally when laying down. This would be the same for low or high grade tumours if oedema was present. I'd see your GP just as it's a new symptom. Hopefully it's nothing serious and connected to the mouth guard

Headaches can also be caused by high cerebral fluid levels, it's called idiopathic intracranial hypertension, and has unknown causes. Quite serious as elevated levels puts pressure on the optic nerve, so headaches that aren't normal for you should be checked out.