Does sleep deprivation trigger headaches?

Doctor's Answers 2

Thank you for your enquiry. Sleep deprivation is a common cause of headaches. There are many types of headaches and some of the common ones are as follows:

1. Tension headache - This is the most common type of headache and one feels a pressure-like pain around the head. It is often triggered by stress, anxiety and sleep deprivation. Lifestyle changes and over the counter pain relievers can often keep the headache under control.

2. Migraine - This is usually a one-sided throbbing pain and can be triggered by stress, lack of sleep, dehydration and food additives. Sometimes the headaches can also lead to nausea and vomiting. Avoiding the triggers and over the counter pain-reliever can help suffers or mild-moderate migraines. For those with severe or frequent migraines, preventative medications can be taken daily to keep it under control.

3. Cluster headaches - This refers to headaches that comes in groups or "clusters", often one sided and is centred around the eye region. The sufferer may experience nasal congestion and watery eyes on the side of the headache. The cause is usually unknown but there may be a genetic predisposition. Pain relievers can often keep the headaches under control.

4. Sinus headaches - This refers to a pressure or throbbing pain due to a sinus infection or blockage. The pain is often accompanied by nasal symptoms (E.g. blocked nose, facial pain and congestion and coloured nasal discharge) or triggered by a change of pressure in the environment (e.g. during flight). The location of the pain can be in the forehead region, in between the eyes or under the eyes, depending on the affected sinuses. Treating the underlying infected or blocked sinus/es often help resolves a sinus headache.

5. Headaches from obstructive sleep apnoea - This is a condition in which one chokes or stops breathing for a short period of time during sleep. Patients with OSA usually snore, feel tired during the day and may wake up with morning headaches or feeling unrefreshed. Sleep apnoea can be diagnosed by undergoing a sleep study (sleeping with sensors attached to various parts of the body). Treatment includes lifestyle modifications and the use of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy.

As for your question on how you will know if your headache is something serious, if you are experiencing the following symptoms, you should see a GP or neurologist for further assessment:

  • Neurological symptoms (E.g. giddiness, weakness in your arms or legs, pins and needles in your body, blurred or double vision etc)
  • Fever associated with a stiff neck or sensitivity to light
  • Your headache felt like you have just been hit with a bat at the back of your head

I would suggest that you try to get enough sleep for the next few days or weeks. If your headaches persist, you should see a GP or Neurologist for an assessment. Hope this helps and all the best.

The relationship between headaches and sleep is a complicated one. At least five possible relationships have been described in the literature.

First, certain primary headache disorders such as migraine and cluster headache tend to develop during sleep, and hypnic headache occurs only during sleep. Normal adult sleep consists of a cycle, each lasting about 90 minutes, containing brief periods of rapid eye movement sleep during which migraine, cluster and hypnic headache usually begin. A part of the brain important for sleep called the hypothalamus could be involved in some headaches. Cluster and hypnic headaches are inherently linked to sleep.

Second, sleep is recognised as being helpful in terminating migraine headache. As many as 50% of migraine sufferers report that sleep disturbances contributed to their headaches. Another important finding is that those who slept only six hours a night on average had more frequent and more severe headaches than those who slept longer. Deprivation of sleep can cause headaches.

Third, too much sleep can trigger headaches, particularly migraines and tension-type headaches. ‘Sleeping in” in the morning can often trigger migraine headache. To avoid one cause of ‘weekend migraine,” susceptible patients should make sure that they wake up and get out of bed at their regular weekend time.

Fourth, irregular sleep patterns may trigger headaches in some and changes in sleep patterns may trigger migraines in some.

Fifth, sleep disorders and headaches are linked. Sleep disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia and circadian rhythm disorder are disproportionately observed in people with headache diagnoses, including migraines and tension-type headaches. Modifying one’s sleeping habits can potentially help an individual to better manage his headaches. Useful tips include having a regular sleep schedule and eliminating TV in bed.

Similar Questions

How are sinus headaches differentiated from other headaches?

Headaches can be pretty painful and can really affect your husband’s quality of life! Before we assume though that sinus problems are causing his headaches, we would usually take a detailed history to find out the location and pattern of the headaches as well as other associated symptoms like blocked or runny nose, colour of his nasal discharge, any nausea or vomiting, vision problems. For example, headaches which are more likely to be due to sinus problems may occur over the forehead, between the eyes, over the cheeks.

Photo of Dr Annabelle Leong

Answered By

Dr Annabelle Leong

ENT Doctor

How can botox be used to treat chronic headaches?

OnabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) injections provide relief for some people with chronic headaches and might be a viable option for people who do not tolerate daily medication well. Botox would most likely be considered if the headaches have features of chronic migraines. It is an injection of a neurotoxin derived from the bacteria that causes botulism. When the Botox botulinum toxin is purified and used in tiny doses in specific areas, it temporarily reduces muscle contractions for approximately 3 months. Botox is injected around pain fibers that are involved in headaches.

Photo of Dr Beng Yeong Ng

Answered By

Dr Beng Yeong Ng

Psychiatrist

Ask any health question for free

I’m not so sure about a procedure...

Ask Icon Ask a Question

Join Human

Sign up now for a free Human account to get answers from specialists in Singapore.

Sign Up

Get The Pill

Be healthier with our Bite-sized health news straight in your inbox