If you wake up each morning with a headache it could be because of your snoring. There is a connection between snoring and headaches – there have been several high profile studies linking snoring and a daily headache.
What Will I Learn?
Can Snoring Give Me Headaches?
Snoring and headaches: is there a connection?
A lot of people believe that there is and, when you think about it, the connection is not hard to make.
There is also a lot of evidence linked to snoring and waking up with a headache. [1]
One of the things snoring does is disrupt your sleep.
Even if the volume of your snoring doesn’t wake you up, it may wake up your partner, who may then drag you out of slumber with an elbow to the ribs.
When the body does not attain a sufficient level of quality sleep, it impacts the health and affects quality of life in many different ways.
“Quality” is a key word in the last sentence.
It’s not just how many hours of sleep you get. It’s how many hours of good sleep.
There are different levels of sleep.
The deepest is REM (Rapid Eye Movement).
It can take 90 minutes to reach REM sleep. Reaching it may not be impossible if your snoring keeps waking you up.
After a poor night’s sleep, you are likely to feel tired and/or grumpy and out of sorts for the rest of the day.
Fifty percent of migraines begin between the hours of 4:00 am and 9:00 am and 80% of migraine sufferers say they wake up feeling tired.
And you may find you wake up with a headache too.
Waking up with a bad head is quite a common problem.
Fifty percent of migraines begin between the hours of 4:00 am and 9:00 am and 80% of migraine sufferers say they wake up feeling tired.
However, people who snore or suffer from sleep disorders are two to eight times more likely to have a problem with headaches.
The relationship between sleep and headaches is not surprising because the same region of the brain controls both.
Snoring and Headaches: A Double-Edged Sword
There is a relationship between poor sleep and headaches and, unfortunately, it’s a situation that can work both ways.
People who don’t get good-quality sleep are more likely to get headaches and when a bad headache strikes, it may make it harder to sleep.
Unfortunately, when you become overly-tired and go to bed, your state of exhaustion can make you more liable to snore.
It can be a bit like that old conundrum, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”
Several sleep disorders have the potential to reduce the quality of your sleep, making you prone to snoring and/or waking up with a headache.
Possible causes include:
Insomnia
Insomnia is probably the most common sleep disorder. It’s somewhat of a catchall term people use when they are talking about an inability to sleep.
Insomnia can have many causes. Stress is one of them.
If you are worrying about work, your relationship, or anything else it can make it difficult to sleep at night.
Depression is another possible cause of insomnia.
If you have an ongoing problem with insomnia, it’s a good idea to visit your doctor and ask for some advice.
Tooth Grinding
Many people grind their teeth at night and the people who do often never realize that they do.
The clenching action of the jaw can place a strain on the muscles that may make them tense-up and cause a headache.
Research shows people who grind their teeth during sleep are also more likely to snore.
Poor Pillow Choice
Using the wrong pillow can, too many pillows or even no pillow can cause you to sleep in a position where your head and neck are not correctly aligned.
This can cause you to wake up with muscle pains and/or an aching head.
It’s best to choose a pillow that allows you to sleep with your neck and head in a neutral position.
Other options anti snoring pillows that range from foam wedges to complete body alignment pillows.
Caffeine
Drinking energy drinks, coffee or other beverages that contain caffeine can interfere with your sleep.
Especially if you drink them too soon before going to bed.
If you are going to consume caffeine, it’s best not to do so within five hours of your normal bedtime.
Snoring and Headaches: What the Research Shows
The results of several studies suggest snoring can cause headaches.
One study, conducted in Sweden, evaluated the prevalence of headaches among people suffering from snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSAS).
Headache, Snoring, and Sleep Apnea
The participants in the study were all aged between 30 and 64-years-old. All of them were living in the Swedish county of Kopparberg.
There were 448 normal snorers in the group and 324 individuals suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.
A second (control) group of 583 people consisted of members of the general population.
An evaluation of the resulting data showed headaches were more common among the members of the group of heavy snorers and OSAS patients.
Furthermore, morning headaches were particularly prevalent among snorers and OSAS patients of both genders.
The results of a study conducted in Canada are particularly interesting.
Apart from supporting the connection between snoring and headaches, the data also suggests a possible remedy.
Sleep Bruxism, Snoring, and Headaches … Effects of a Mandibular Advancement Appliance
In this case, the study group was made up of adolescents. All of them had problems with sleep bruxism (grinding teeth), headaches, and/or snoring.
Sixteen individuals were involved.
The researchers wanted to examine the value of a mandibular advancement appliance (MAA) for managing sleep bruxism in adolescents suffering from snoring and headaches.
MAAs are more commonly called mandibular advancement devices (MADs).
They are a very popular remedy for snoring.
The study ran for three weeks using a multi-position MAD set to a different position each week.
- Neutral
- 50% Advanced
- Maximum protrusion
The resulting data shows short-term use of the device appeared to reduce snoring and headaches.
Based on the evidence of this study, it appears wearing a MAD during sleep may be a good way to kill two birds with one stone by controlling snoring and reducing the likelihood of headaches.
Recommended Article: There are many products on the market designed to stop you snoring. We take a look at the best ones available and put them to the test.
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