NOCTURNAL HEADACHES WHILE I'M ASLEEP

They don't happen very often. once every two to three months (Approx. I'm guessing). Ive been getting them since January 2010 while I'm asleep. I don't really know how long they last but i think mostly through out my slumber. They feel like a continuous  brain freeze. I'm not wary of the fact that I'm sleeping but i can feel the pain vividly and it really hurts. As for my breathing, i think while the headaches are happening my breathing is fairly faint. I don't feel my body moving but i think at some time i did move around a lot. Sometimes I'm dreaming but most of the time the pain just comes without any dreams. They dont stop until i break myself from sleeping, though I'm not fully awake. i just go back to sleep after that. I never get headaches during the day. very unlikely. These pains only come while I'm sleeping. PLEASE HELP!!

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? Pain or headache that develop during sleep that may last for several hours may be due to cluster headaches This is also associated with pain in the vicinity of the eye, tearing of eye, nose congestion, and even flushing of the face. Attacks may occur every day for weeks then disappear for up to a year. Have this checked by your doctor for proper evaluation. Your medical history and direct clinical and neurological examination may help. Take care and do keep us posted.

[dame_wilbur]

Another possibility that occurred to me while reading your post is this: have you been checked for sleep apnea? For a while, my docs were considering that my migraines were being exacerbated by sleep apnea, where my brain wasn't getting enough oxygen at night. I would think if you did have sleep apnea, it could account for the headaches, just like holding your breath during the day can bring on a headache.

As for them not happening every night, do you always sleep in one position, or are you more of a restless sleeper? If the latter, it might be that it's one sleeping position that aggravates your nocturnal headaches. Maybe you could keep a notebook of what position you're in when you go to sleep, and what position you're in when you wake up and see if there's a pattern there.

Good luck and keep us posted,

~Dame