If you always wake up with a dry mouth and pounding headache, you know how much it throws off your entire day. No one wants to wake up feeling bad, worn down, or in pain. So how can you finally stop waking up with a headache? The answer lies in understanding what causes morning head pain to begin with. Once you identify the culprit causing your pain, you can take the proper steps to remedy the situation. For example, your morning headaches could be caused by something as simple as a food allergy or an undiagnosed sleep disorder. We’ve gathered all of the common causes of morning headaches (and their solutions) so that you can finally wake up feeling refreshed, restored, and, most importantly, headache-free.

The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve within the body, responsible for helping regulate almost every day-to-day process including digestion, sleep, and overall well-being. It’s also connected to our ability to show compassion and empathy for others. When our vagus nerve isn’t functioning as it should, it’s often called “low vagal tone.” This dysfunction leads to inflammation, anxiety, poor sleep, and even digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome. Therefore, boosting vagal tone with vagus nerve exercises for digestion and improved sleep can make all of the difference in how we feel. For example, humming and singing are thought to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and, in turn, our vagus nerve. Breathwork is another hidden gem for improving vagal tone by shifting the body from a state of fight or flight into a state of rest and relaxation.

While living in today’s fast-paced world, it’s not uncommon to skip sleep here and there. However, many of us are so sleep-deprived that we’re paying for it with our mental and physical well-being. That said, a top cause of sleep disturbances ends up in bed with most of us every single night: our smartphones. If you’ve ever laid awake scrolling through your iPhone, you’re in luck! Apple devices also offer several built-in sleep tools that can help you achieve and maintain your best shut-eye yet. For example, if you’re in the market for a white noise machine but you own an iPhone, you’ve already got a built-in white noise machine right in your pocket! Worried about blue light exposure from electronics keeping you up at night? Red light iPhone filters offer a built-in screen temperature adjustment that turns on and off every night and morning. All you have to do is set it up and select your desired schedule. Scroll your way to enhanced sleep tonight!

Americans are far behind other countries when it comes to our average sleep duration. With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, prioritizing sleep is a challenge. Luckily, many other countries around the globe have passed down unique sleep habits for generations…and they’ve been passed down because they work! A night-time foot soak is popular in China, while Scandinavians swear by bedding essentials like sleeping with two different duvets rather than one if you have a sleeping partner. Swedish bedtime snacks are proven to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, while Salvadorans have made hammock naps a daily practice within their culture for years. Chamomile tea has been passed down from ancient times for the improvement of health and sleep – and so have certain breathing patterns! Implement these global lifestyle hacks for your most restorative sleep yet.

Air travel has revolutionized the way we work and vacation, but it’s come at a price: jet lag. This temporary sleep disruption affects travelers who quickly find themselves in a much different time zone than the one their internal clock is “set” to back home. Luckily, a couple of handy hacks can help you overcome jet lag if you find yourself in this sleep-deprived situation. For starters, if you plan to travel east rather than west, plan for more significant adjustments ahead of time: traveling east is harder on your circadian rhythm than traveling west. Be sure to use a jet lag calculator that determines your time of departure and arrival. Then, start shifting your sleep schedule to account for the time change at least two days ahead of travel. Finally, plan to take a melatonin supplement either on the flight or after you land. Try out handy accessories if you must take an in-flight nap, like an eye mask, noise-canceling headphones, or mouth tape for snore-free, restorative sleep.

A rough night almost always means a rough day. That said, researchers have proven that poor sleep is more than just an annoying inconvenience; it has real consequences when it comes to your relationships with others. People who experience poor sleep are less likely to give charitably to others or offer up kind gestures like holding the door open for someone. Moreover, sleep deprivation is proven to increase feelings of anger and irritability. It also hiders impulse control, so flying off the handle after you were up all night becomes highly likely. When we’re tired, we tend to avoid others – and they pick up on it. Poor sleep lends itself to isolation and loneliness, killing your social life altogether. If you want to improve your life, improve your sleep. Start by using a sleep debt calculator to determine your level of sleep debt. Your total number of lost hours each week may surprise you. Once you’ve determined how short on sleep you truly are, establish habits that support a healthy, consistent sleep routine. Get selfish about sleep! Your quality of life depends on it.

If you can’t seem to get to sleep when you want to or find yourself waking up several times throughout the night, you’re one of many adults who suffers from insomnia. No single thing can explain sudden insomnia, butseveral unexpected causes may becontributing to your lack of shut-eye. For example, eating too many fatty foods close to bedtime may shift your digestive system into overdrive, making sleep difficult to achieve. Alcohol induced insomnia can keep you awake due to the rebound effect alcohol has on sleep quality, while alcohol withdrawal insomnia is common in heavy drinkers. Changing up your medications – even down to the dosage amount – is known to cause insomnia. Early pregnancy is notorious for disrupting sleep, too, so tell your health specialist if you have a tough time falling asleep after finding out you’re expecting. Beyond that, unknown sleep disorders like sleep apnea could be to blame for your late nights, as symptoms can be subtle and difficult to detect.

Lack of sleep is proven to cause numerous health problems – but did you know that poor gut health is one of them? If you’ve experienced digestive issues like gas, bloating, or constipation, your sleep habits may be the culprit. Researchers believe that there’s a direct connection between gut health and our sleep patterns. However, they’re unsure if gut health influences sleep quality or vice versa. That said, we do know that a happy gut is a balanced gut. Balancing good and bad gut bacteria is key to relieving the symptoms of poor gut health. Prebiotics and probiotics help achieve this, but some of the best prebiotic (and probiotic) supplements come in the form of food. Fermented foods like pickles and sauerkraut fill the gut with healthy bacteria while fiber-rich foods like apples and bananas “feed” pre-existing gut bacteria and encourage microbiome diversity. Once you’ve got your gut health handled, turn your attention to sleep hygiene by establishing and maintaining healthy sleep-wake patterns and addressing sleep disruptions, like snoring.

There’s nothing worse than being pulled straight from blissful sleep by a blaring, loud alarm clock. Whether you use a traditional clock or your phone’s alarm clock, the noises aren’t exactly soothing. In fact, they trigger involuntary increases in adrenaline, heart rate, and blood pressure. Over time, this causes harm to your health. If you awake confused and panicked at the sound of your alarm going off, a sunrise alarm clock may be the answer. These alarm clocks mimic the natural sunrise to ease you into wakefulness. Many of them couple calming, soothing nature sounds to help you feel refreshed first thing in the morning rather than anxious and frightened. This light exposure even helps to establish and maintain a healthy circadian rhythm thanks to light’s influence on our eyes first thing in the morning. Selecting the best sunrise alarm clock can be overwhelming, which is why we’ve rounded up our top three picks for your most peaceful mornings yet.