Published on: 7/4/2025
What are common causes of headaches that occur at night and how can they be treated?
Headaches that occur at night can be caused by health conditions such as cluster headaches or hypnic headaches. Treatments (including lifestyle changes and/or medication) are available to prevent or reduce these headaches, but the most appropriate treatments will vary depending on what exactly is causing the headaches.
Explanation
Headaches that happen at night can be due to various reasons, including a condition known as a cluster headache or another condition known as a hypnic headache.
Usually, people with cluster headaches start to experience these headaches between 20 to 40 years of age, but children and older adults have also been known to develop cluster headaches. Cluster headache symptoms can start all of a sudden, usually on one side of the head, and can last for hours. Alcohol and smoking tobbaco can trigger cluster headaches, so avoiding these triggers can help prevent these symptoms.
Hypnic headaches typically occur in adults ages 50 years and older. Hypnic headaches are characterized by dull or throbbing pain that usually lasts 15 minutes to 3 hours. Treatment options for hypnic headaches include indomethacin or caffeine.
If you experience frequent headaches, it's important to talk to a healthcare provider to identify the cause and to find the right treatment for you.
(References)
- Singh NN, & Sahota P. (2013). Sleep-related headache and its management. Current treatment options in neurology, 24132786.
- De Simone R, Marano E, Ranieri A, & Bonavita V. (2006). Hypnic headache: an update. Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, 16688619.
- Manni R, & Ghiotto N. (2010). Hypnic headache. Handbook of clinical neurology, 20816447.
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