Chronic migraines can heavily affect how much sleep you get at night. Recurring migraines can annoy and damage your mental and physical health. Migraines function as recurring headaches that result in incredible pain and disruption to everyday life. They also affect sleep schedules, something crucial to the body and brain health. Here are various chronic migraine tips you can follow to improve your sleep and manage migraines.
Look for the signs
Oftentimes, migraines have triggers throughout different times of the day. At least half of migraines occur between 4 am and 9 am. One of the phases of migraines includes the prodrome, the preheadache stage. This happens when symptoms begin to appear, like changes in vision, mood, excessive yawning, sensitivity to light and sounds, and other symptoms. Paying attention to triggers, what preceded them, and the timing of it can help in understanding the pattern of your migraines and how to possibly stop them.
Change up your pillow
Believe it or not, the pillow you use affects your sleep schedule. A comfortable pillow serves as a deciding factor for whether you get any sleep with a migraine. A pillow that is supportive and comfortable can help with migraine pain and support the back and neck. There are multiple pillows that are recommended; however, it is important to find your perfect fit considering that all migraines are different for the individual. Mainly, there are eleven different pillows that can help sleep with a migraine.
Set a Bedtime schedule
Begin to develop a nighttime routine to keep to a strict sleep schedule. Migraines can improve with a consistent sleep schedule and avoidance of inconsistency. You may have to play around on when the best time to sleep is, keep a journal and figure out when the least amount of triggers occur, and when you get the most sleep. The consistency of a sleep schedule helps the body to prepare for sleep and makes you feel well-rested in the morning. Your pre-bedtime activities should also be adjusted to ensure a good sleep, this may include
- Avoiding food that triggers your migraines
- Staying away from eating too close to bedtime
- Eliminating late-night caffeine that may keep you up
- Limiting screen overuse
Look into Natural Remedies
Various natural remedies exist to help with migraine pain. One wonderful way to decrease migraine pain to a bearable amount is to use various essential oils. This is considered to be aromatherapy. Aromatherapy can be used to calm nerves and relax the body and brain. Practicing mindfulness and mediation before going to bed is also a great way to unwind from the day’s activities and calm the brain enough for sleep. Yoga serves as another great way to reduce tension. Other treatments of acupuncture and certain massages should also be considered in possibly relieving migraine pain.
Reduce Screen Time
Too much screen use can be detrimental. Blue light can affect the natural sleep cycle of your body. It is important to reduce screen time and strain on the eyes before bedtime. It is recommended to turn off devices and remove them from your bedroom environment for at least an hour before sleep. Creating the perfect sleep environment is essential to feeling comfortable and reducing stress, this is a cool and dark environment to ensure the best sleep possible.
Migraines disrupt, cause pain, and induce immense stress. At Foothills neurology, we offer a variety of treatments for migraines and have migraine specialists. They all work with you to reduce or possibly eliminate migraine issues.