Waking Up With a Headache: Common Causes and What to Do
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Waking up with a headache is a rotten way to start the day, and if it happens often it's worth working out why. Most morning headaches have an everyday cause, such as too much or too little sleep, alcohol, caffeine habits or grinding your teeth. Some point to a sleep problem like sleep apnoea, and a few need urgent care. This guide covers the common causes, a quick checklist to narrow them down, practical fixes, the warning signs to act on, and when to see your GP.
The short answer: the usual suspects for a morning headache are too much or too little sleep, alcohol the night before, caffeine withdrawal, not drinking enough water, teeth grinding, overusing pain relief and sleep apnoea. A sleep apnoea headache is typically felt on both sides of the head on most mornings. Keep a regular sleep schedule, cut back alcohol, keep caffeine steady and see your dentist if you grind. Get urgent help for a headache with fever, vomiting, confusion, a stiff neck, vision changes, loss of balance or a seizure.
The common causes
healthdirect lists several headache triggers that fit the morning pattern (source):
- Too much or too little sleep. Both are listed as common triggers. A short night and a long weekend sleep-in can each do it.
- Sleep apnoea. healthdirect says it can cause headaches when you wake up, usually felt on both sides of the head and on most days of the week.
- Alcohol. It can cause a throbbing headache that gets worse with exercise.
- Not drinking enough water.
- Large amounts of caffeine, or caffeine withdrawal when you stop.
- Medication overuse. Taking pain relief too often can cause a medication overuse headache, which feels similar to a tension-type headache.
Two more causes come from the mouth and jaw. Teeth grinding at night commonly causes headaches and jaw pain on waking (source). See teeth grinding at night. And Better Health Channel lists "dry mouth and headaches upon waking" among the symptoms of sleep apnoea (source).
A quick checklist
| Clue | Likely cause to look at |
|---|---|
| Headache after drinks the night before | Alcohol, and possibly not enough water |
| Worse on weekends or days off | Sleeping in, or a later first coffee than usual |
| Jaw ache or sensitive teeth too | Teeth grinding |
| Both sides of the head, most mornings, plus snoring or daytime sleepiness | Possible sleep apnoea, see your GP |
| Pain relief on many days of the month | Medication overuse headache |
| After a short or broken night | Too little sleep |
| With fever, vomiting, confusion or a stiff neck | Urgent medical care |
A simple diary for two weeks helps a lot. Note bedtime, wake time, alcohol, caffeine, pain relief and whether you woke with a headache. Patterns usually show up quickly, and the diary is useful if you see your GP.
Caffeine and the weekend headache
If you have coffee every morning, your body comes to expect it. healthdirect says caffeine withdrawal symptoms, including headaches, usually start within a day of stopping and can last up to a week (source). Some people notice headaches on days their usual coffee comes much later than normal, such as a long weekend sleep-in.
If you want to cut back, healthdirect suggests doing it gradually, for example one less caffeinated drink each day. More in caffeine and sleep.
Fixes that help most people
- Keep a regular wake time, weekends included, so you're not swinging between too little and too much sleep. See fixed wake-up time.
- Aim for enough sleep, not as much as possible. See how much sleep do I need.
- Go easy on alcohol, especially close to bed. See does alcohol help you sleep.
- Drink water through the day, and keep a glass by the bed in hot weather.
- Keep caffeine steady and within healthdirect's guide of around 400 mg a day for healthy adults.
- See your dentist if you might be grinding. A custom splint protects your teeth.
- Talk to your GP or pharmacist if you're taking pain relief often.
Sleep apnoea: the one not to ignore
Sleep apnoea means regular periods of reduced or absent breathing while you sleep. Alongside morning headaches, Better Health Channel lists loud snoring or gasping, daytime sleepiness and fatigue, poor concentration, irritability and needing to wee at night. Risk factors include being overweight, alcohol, sedative medications and nasal congestion. If this sounds familiar, see your GP, who can refer you for a sleep study. Read signs of sleep apnoea and, if you're tired even after a full night, still tired after 8 hours sleep.
When to see your GP
Call 000 or go to an emergency department if a headache comes with fever and vomiting, confusion or a change in personality, a stiff neck, blurred or double vision, loss of balance or a seizure. healthdirect also advises contacting your doctor about a morning headache with nausea that doesn't go away. See your GP if you wake with headaches on most days, if you snore or feel unrefreshed, or if you're relying on pain relief. This guide is general information, not medical advice.
Where the Sovune Nudge fits
We make the Sovune Nudge, a vibrating alarm wristband, so we're not neutral. It won't fix a headache, but a gentler, more regular wake-up can be part of the routine.
- Starts as a gentle tap on your wrist and builds through three intensity levels, rather than a loud alarm going off next to your head.
- Three separate alarms, so you can keep the same wake time on weekdays and weekends.
- Vibrates for a full minute per alarm, and you can switch it off sooner once you're up.
- Silent, with no sound or light in the room, so a partner sleeps on.
It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Quick answers
Why do I wake up with a headache every morning? Common causes include sleep apnoea, teeth grinding, alcohol, caffeine withdrawal and medication overuse. If it's most mornings, see your GP.
Can sleeping too much give you a headache? Yes. healthdirect lists both too much and too little sleep as common headache triggers.
What does a sleep apnoea headache feel like? healthdirect says it's usually felt on both sides of the head and on most days of the week.
Can teeth grinding cause morning headaches? Yes. Headaches and jaw pain on waking are common symptoms of grinding.
For every type of silent alarm compared, see our complete guide to vibrating alarms in Australia.