Lack of Sleep
Scientists have known for a long time that lack of sleep can cause tension headaches. However, the mechanism by which this happens is not fully understood. Still, it is known that the brain releases certain neurotransmitters during sleep deprivation responsible for triggering the headache.
Tension-type headache is also very common among people with insomnia or sleep deprivation. Insomnia is sleeping for less than eight hours per night for at least three nights a week for a month or longer.
Sleeping disorders such as insomnia are likely to cause tension-type headaches because sleep deprivation increases stress levels. When the body is under constant stress, blood pressure rises, blood vessels constrict, and muscles tense up, causing pain in your head and neck.
When you sleep, your body releases certain chemicals that induce relaxation, help ease muscle pain and prevent tension-type headaches. However, staying awake all night creates an imbalance between these chemicals and hormones that causes frequent and severe tension-type headaches.
