Headaches and migraines are a common ailment today, but does lack of sleep cause headaches? After all, headaches are accompanied by sleep issues as well.
So if you’re both having difficulty sleeping and experiencing headaches, you may naturally wonder – what’s causing it?
Read more to learn whether sleep deprivation can cause headaches, as well as how to treat certain symptoms.
Can You Get Headaches From Lack Of Sleep?
Can lack of sleep cause headaches? Yes. When you lack proper sleep, it can lead to pain like headaches. If you’re not getting at least 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night, then this could result in having sleep deprivation.
What Does A Sleep Deprivation Headache Feel Like
Sleep deprivation can cause mood swings, drowsiness, cognitive issues, and even unpleasant head tension or pain. Headaches from lack of sleep can come in many forms.
You can experience tightness, heaviness, migraines, or radiating pain in different areas of your head.
This can last for hours or even weeks if not treated. So if you were wondering “can not getting enough sleep cause headaches?” then there is your answer.
Why Does Lack Of Sleep Cause Headaches?
Studies have found that when you don’t get deep sleep, you can experience more headaches throughout the day. This is a common symptom of sleep deprivation.
Learn More: How to Sleep with Occipital Neuralgia?
When you don’t get deep sleep, you can experience more headaches throughout the day. This is because your body produces an excess of proteins that cause pain. In addition, these proteins reduce your body’s pain tolerance.
This is one of the reasons that the answer to “can sleep deprivation cause headaches” is a resounding Yes. This means that any pain you do feel is also amplified.
Getting Rid Of A Headache Due To Lack Of Sleep
There are several things you can do to mitigate the pain from sleep deprivation headaches. First, you should understand that the reason you’re experiencing headaches may be due to a simple loss of sleep.
In other cases, your headache could be a result of radiating pain from other areas. For instance, if you actually have spine or neck pain, this could eventually cause head pain as well.
The proper treatment for this type of pain depends on your situation. Here are some of the things that you can do:
Anti-inflammatory medications:
Medicine like Tylenol, Advil, and Ibuprofen can be helpful for relieving inflammation.Hot and cold therapy:
A hot towel on your forehead before going to bed can help relax the muscles and relieve tension. Alternating this with cold therapy also reduces inflammation.Opioids:
If prescribed by a doctor and planned accordingly, opioids can be a safe and effective way to treat your pain. You can learn more about this kind of treatment by speaking with a pain center.
When you’re getting not enough sleep, headache pain can fire up again. So consult professionals to see your potential pain remedy options.
Additional Pain Treatment Options
If you’re experiencing consistent headaches from a lack of sleep, you should consult pain prevention experts. They may help you identify conditions that you have like occipital headaches, shoulder pain, nerve injuries, or other sources of the discomfort.
From here, you may be prescribed medications. You may also be assigned physical therapy to help improve blood flow or relax your nerves and joints.
Options for pain relief include: epidurals, nerve blocks, steroid injections, and nerve signal interruption, and much more.
Migraine Pain Relief – Indiana
Schedule a chat with APAC today – a certified center for pain management in Indiana. Discover your options for pain treatment. You deserve restful sleep and a clear, pain-free morning.
You’ll find out how to get rid of sleep deprivation headaches with non-invasive, multidisciplinary solutions. And hopefully you’ll never have to think to yourself “I have a headache due to lack of sleep” again.
