Are Your Headaches Caused by Sleep Apnea?

Occasional headaches are normal, but frequent and severe headaches often suggest something is wrong, and could be related to the quality of sleep you are getting. For those who deal with sleep apnea, painful headaches can be a reality. Studies have shown that 10-15% of those with obstructive sleep apnea deal with headaches¹. In terms of the general population, these types of headaches are estimated to affect 1-2% of people, and more specifically, 2-8% of the middle aged population².

Multiple studies have correlated the prevalence of sleep apnea with cluster headaches, migraines, and chronic daily headaches, which tend to occur in the mornings³. Cluster headaches are very common, and researchers have found that approximately 80% of those with sleep apnea suffer from cluster headaches. These tend to come in groups and be quite intense in nature. Other sleep-related headaches often occur above the eyebrows, present a dull pain, last a couple hours after waking up from sleep, and can occur daily⁴.

Scientists make sense of the relationships between sleep and headaches by considering the crucial role that proper sleep plays in an individual’s overall wellness. Poor sleep is noted to increase the odds for headache and mood change as the brain needs ample time to rest and restore in the night for proper functioning during the day. An ideal amount of sleep also decreases pain intensity and increases mood, so if you are suffering from a headache, a lack of sleep will make it even worse⁵.

Studies have shown that getting a proper amount of sleep helps substantially with sleep apnea headaches. In particular, those who were given solutions that opened their airways to increase their ability to breathe properly throughout the night saw improvements in headaches as they awoke by 80% compared to those who recorded minimal improvement⁶.

Our snoring mouthpiece has been clinically tested and proven to reduce snoring, and in turn, has helped countless people manage their sleep apnea and prevent morning headaches. 

Will this tongue stabilization mouthpiece work for you? Find out here

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References 

 1 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1586/14737175.2013.840422?journalCode=iern20

2http://web.b.ebscohost.com.libproxy.mtroyal.ca/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=f7f92acb-504c-4794-bc6c-4e75a3d10e8d%40sessionmgr102&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHVybCxjb29raWUsdWlkJnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=112929465&db=a9h

3 https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/article/104/12/1087/1544801

4http://www.mysleepapneamd.com/blog/headaches-can-caused-sleep-apnea-curing-sleep-apnea-headaches

5https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/sleep/

6https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1105630