Sleep is a fickle factor when it comes to headaches. While too much or too little sleep can often spark a migraine, napping can sometimes relieve unbearable head pain.
How should you manage your sleep patterns in order to control your headaches? Here are some examples of sleep induced headaches that can possibly be prevented with a few simple adjustments.
Situation #1: “I only get headaches on the weekend!”
Oversleeping can cause headache. This is experience is known as “weekend headache” and can be prevented. You should try to maintain a regular sleep pattern and attempt to wake up and go to bed at the same time on the weekend as you do during the week.
Situation #2: “When I’m exhausted, my head hurts!
Make sure you get a full night of sleep (7-9 hours). Fatigue is a common migraine trigger.
Situation #3: “When I skip my morning cup of coffee, I develop a headache!”
One of the factors contributing to “weekend” or “holiday” headaches may be caffeine withdrawal. If you normally consume large amounts of caffeine-containing substances during the week, a withdrawal or “rebound” headache may occur on weekends if you skip the coffee or tea. The headache may persist until you consume caffeine. You should try to gradually withdraw from caffeine use over a period of time in order to reduce the “withdrawal” headache.
Try keeping a headache diary to track if changes in your sleep pattern triggers attacks. Just as headache treatment varies from person to person, so does the influence of sleep, headache experts conclude.
