| It is really annoying to go to bed feeling perfectly | | | | 2. Allergies. In most western countries the |
| ok but either wake during the night or in the | | | | tradition of giving and consuming large amounts of |
| morning with a headache. There may just be a | | | | chocolate Easter eggs is very popular. However |
| reason! | | | | the high sugar content and other chemicals |
| You wake up your neck is tight; you have a dull | | | | specific to chocolate can be a cause of headaches |
| pain in the back of your head, or perhaps an | | | | for some people. As the chocolate intake |
| uncomfortable feeling in your jaw. You don't | | | | increases over the holiday so too does the |
| understand it. You felt just fine when you went | | | | likelihood of a headache. |
| to sleep. | | | | It is basically an allergic reaction. Sugar is a grass. |
| Sometimes it is easy to pinpoint the problem. You | | | | Many people react to various grass varieties. |
| may have been on a flight the day before and | | | | Image now if you concentrate that grass and |
| you jinked your neck while trying to sleep. Or you | | | | then eat large amounts of it. Add it to chocolate |
| may be staying in a hotel with dodgy pillows, | | | | and you have a potential headache recipe. |
| which are always too soft or too hard, but never | | | | Keep track of your chocolate binges and any |
| just right. | | | | subsequent headaches. For some people it can |
| But many times the source of the problem is not | | | | become more specific. Some find they react |
| that obvious. However if we dig a little deeper | | | | more to chocolate which has been stored at |
| you may see some solutions. | | | | room temperature, than choc which has been |
| 1. Patterns of pain. Sometimes headaches occur | | | | refrigerated. Why this is, is a mystery to me but |
| on a time delay basis. It may be that you are | | | | because I routinely question clients, I have found |
| stressed out on Tuesday, play some physical | | | | this temperature issue to be real. |
| sport on Wednesday and become hypoglycaemic | | | | Dark chocolate tends to be less reactive as it has |
| on Thursday and then have a headache on | | | | less sugar and milk products. |
| Saturday and can't work out why. | | | | Other allergies will seem to make this chocolate |
| It is a pattern of behaviour and events, which in | | | | headache problem more likely. Sad but true! |
| isolation don't cause you a problem, but the sum | | | | 3. Caffeine. The classic caffeine withdrawal which |
| of the parts is enough to create a painful | | | | occurs on weekends or holidays when you |
| response. | | | | consume less coffee than you would in your |
| Look for your patterns, keep a headache diary, | | | | office. The solution is more weekend coffee or |
| use a spread sheet and stand back and look at | | | | less work day coffee. You decide which would |
| the big picture and see what you can find out | | | | make the most sense to you. |
| about yourself. | | | | |