Symptom 4: Morning Headaches
Waking up should be a refreshing end to a restful night. However, for CSA sufferers, it can be quite the opposite. Instead of feeling rejuvenated, they often wake up with a throbbing headache. It’s as if the weight of the night’s disturbed sleep manifests physically, casting a painful cloud over the start of the day.
These morning headaches aren’t just the regular ones that might arise from various daily life stressors. They are directly linked to the reduced oxygen levels during the interrupted sleep patterns typical of CSA. When the brain doesn’t receive adequate oxygen, blood vessels in the brain can expand, leading to what’s known as a vascular headache.
But why morning? It’s the culmination of a night of periodic breathing cessations, each reducing the brain’s oxygen supply. By the time morning rolls around, the cumulative oxygen deprivation leads to this throbbing pain, making it hard to focus, think, or even just get out of bed.
The intensity and frequency of these headaches can vary from one individual to another. For some, it might be a dull, lingering pain, while for others, it can be intensely debilitating. What’s common, though, is the significant hindrance it poses to starting the day on a positive note.(4)
