Why do you have a headache when you sleep in? A neurologist’s response: Femme Actuelle Le MAG

While the alarm goes off all week long, the weekend is often a good time to sleep in a little more, and even sleep in for some. However, it is quite common to suffer from headaches after waking up late. Pain, tingling, shooting sensations felt in the skull… Headache, also called headache, corresponds to any painful complaint centered on the cranial region. The causes of headaches are varied, and they are most often benign. There are two main ones: tension headaches and migraines.

In a recent video posted to Instagram, medical doctor and neurologist Olivier Sillam, also known as @drolivier_sillam on social media, spoke about the causes of a headache after a lie-in.

Lazy mornings: why can they cause headaches?

In his video, the neurologist mentions two main reasons for the headaches felt during a lie-in. First of all, this explains “that by waking up later, this modifies our biological rhythm”. According to him, this modification of the biological rhythm can then lead to a delay in neurotransmitters such as serotonin. As a reminder, neurotransmitters are organic compounds that ensure the transmission of information from one nerve cell to another. This can then result in tension headaches, or even a migraine attack in people who are prone to them. The second reason mentioned by the neurologist is that of withdrawal. Indeed, the expert explains that the body is used during the week to drinking coffee, water, and even to consuming food from 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. However, when we sleep in on the weekend and get up at 10 a.m., our body feels a lack. “Lack of caffeine can in particular be the cause of a migraine attack when there is withdrawal”, declares the expert.

How to avoid headaches when you sleep in?

When headaches are present every weekend, and they are very debilitating, the specialist advises changing certain daily habits. He explains in his video that it is essential to have “a certain regularity in your sleep schedule to avoid suffering from migraines”. In addition, he advises avoiding drinking too much concentrated coffee in the morning from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. for example, in order to reduce the withdrawal on weekends.

Additional source:

• Headache: definition and causes – Health Insurance