Child headache: common causes and when to get it checked
Most headaches in children come from a virus, dehydration, missed meals, screen strain, or poor sleep, and ease with fluids, food, rest, and weight-based pain relief. Get urgent care for a headache with a stiff neck and fever, one that wakes a child from sleep, one that follows a head injury, or one paired with vomiting, vision changes, or confusion.
How long it lasts
Viral and tension headaches usually pass within a few hours. Migraines can run four to 24 hours in children, often ending in sleep.
School and daycare
Headache alone is not a reason to stay home once pain relief has worked and there is no fever. Keep your child home if the headache comes with fever, vomiting, or if they cannot concentrate through the pain.
What usually causes headache in kids
Headache alongside fever is one of the most common presentations of flu and other viruses in kids.
Dehydration or hunger
A late lunch, a hot day, or a busy sports afternoon is a frequent cause of an afternoon headache.
Tension headache
A dull band-like ache on both sides, often at the end of a school day or in a stressful stretch.
Migraine
Throbbing pain, often one-sided, worse with light and noise, sometimes with nausea. Sleep usually ends it.
Headache with sore throat and fever, particularly in school-aged children.
Pressure over the cheeks or forehead during or after a cold.
When to call a doctor
- Headache with a stiff neck, fever, and a very ill-looking child
- A headache that wakes them from sleep, or is worst first thing in the morning
- Headache after a head injury, especially with vomiting or drowsiness
- Vision changes, double vision, weakness, or trouble with balance or speech
- The worst headache of their life, coming on suddenly
- Headaches that get more frequent or more severe over weeks
What helps at home
- Water and a snack first. Many childhood headaches resolve on that alone.
- A quiet, dark room and a short nap, which is the most reliable migraine treatment in kids.
- Weight-based acetaminophen or ibuprofen early rather than after hours of pain.
- A cool cloth on the forehead or back of the neck.
- Track them: time of day, food, sleep, and screen time before each one. A two-week log tells a pediatrician more than any single visit.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does my child keep getting headaches?
- Recurring headaches in kids most often trace back to sleep, hydration, skipped meals, screen time, or stress at school. Keep a two-week log of timing and triggers, and see your pediatrician if they are getting worse or more frequent.
- When is a child's headache serious?
- When it wakes them from sleep, is worst on waking, follows a head injury, comes with a stiff neck and fever, or comes with vision changes, weakness, or confusion. Any of those means get seen now.
- Can a child go to school with a headache?
- Yes if pain relief works and there is no fever or vomiting. Send them with a water bottle and a note to the school nurse, since dehydration is a frequent culprit.
- How do I tell a migraine from a regular headache in a child?
- Migraines throb, are often one-sided, get worse with light and noise, and can come with nausea. A tension headache is a steady band-like pressure on both sides that does not worsen with activity.
- What can I give a child for a headache?
- Weight-based acetaminophen or ibuprofen, given early, along with fluids, a snack, and a dark quiet room. Avoid using pain relief more than twice a week, which can cause rebound headaches.
Is it going around right now?
Parents log sick days at their own schools and daycares on Ickly, so you can see whether headache is part of something moving through your child's classroom this week.
See what's going around near youOther symptom guides
General information for parents, not medical advice. Always contact your pediatrician or emergency services if you are worried about your child.