September is a month of change for many children, as it marks the beginning of a new school year. Summer vacation, and it’s more relaxed schedule, is over. Going back to school often causes an abrupt shift in habits, back to the day-to-day grind of getting up early, having to be alert and focused in class all day, and then even having to do homework in the evenings.

This kind of lifestyle change is often accompanied by a variety of health concerns, including increased headaches in kids.

Going back to school is associated with increased headache frequency in kids

Neurologists from Nationwide Children’s Hospital conducted research by looking at about 1,300 emergency department visits and grouping them seasonally. They found what they already suspected to be true from their experience as practitioners; headaches increase in the fall for children aged five to 18 years old.[1]

What might be to blame for this seasonal increase in headache frequency? Experts believe that for many kids, lifestyle factors are a major cause for headaches, and the fall is a time that many habits change.

Kids have increased workloads, begin extracurricular activities, alter their sleep schedules, and change their daily eating routines. These changes may lead to increased stress, dehydration, poor nutrition or skipping of meals, too much caffeine, lack of sleep, too little physical activity, and excessive time staring at computer screens. All of these factors may serve as triggers for headaches.[1]

Five ways to prevent school-related headaches

If your child has been complaining of headaches more often since school started, consider these tips to prevent common headache triggers in children.

1. Make sure they drink plenty of water. Inadequate hydration is one of the most common reasons for headaches in kids. And when kids return to the busy schedule of school, they may forget to drink enough throughout the day. Start the morning off by giving the whole family a glass of water, and pack a water bottle in your kids’ backpacks and lunch boxes. For more information on identifying signs of dehydration in children, as well as how much water kids should drink daily, read more here.
2. Don’t skip meals. Triggering a headache can be as easy as skipping a meal. Make sure your family eats a healthy breakfast daily, which is important for a number of reasons, including avoiding headaches (read more about why breakfast is important here). Read 6 Good School Lunches to Pack for Your Kids for healthy and easy lunch ideas to keep your kids fueled with nutritious food during the day.
3. Make regular bedtimes a priority. Going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day can help prevent headaches in kids, as well as sleep deprivation. Try to establish a regular routine for all the members of your family to ensure that your child gets plenty of rest. Middle and high school students may need up to 10 to 12 hours of sleep per night.
4. Reduce stress. Support your child to help relieve some of the stressors that come with homework, tests, and the day-to-day challenges associated with school. Help them establish an effective homework schedule, and be sure to make time for fun, stress-relieving activities for the whole family. Avoiding stress will help your kids avoid headaches and a myriad of other health problems.
5. Get moving. Be sure to make time for physical activity and outdoor play for your kids. Lack of physical activity itself may contribute to increased headaches. Getting exercise will also help by relieving stress and breaking up hours spent staring at textbooks or electronic screens. Whether it is sports, dance classes, family walks, or simply playing in the backyard, getting moving will help your child to stay healthy during the school year.

The hectic schedule of returning to school can be challenging mentally and physically, but these five simple steps can help to avoid headaches in kids and encourage healthy habits. If maintaining a healthy diet with adequate hydration, coupled with reducing stress, increasing physical activity, and getting plenty of sleep doesn’t help your child’s headaches, it may be time to consult a physician to determine the root cause and appropriate treatment for their symptoms.

Share your experience

Does your child get headaches? What seems to trigger them? What tips do you have for preventing headaches in children? Share your experience in the comments section below.

[1] Nationwide Children’s News Room. August 17 2015.