How To Make Sleep Easier During A Migraine Attack

You can feel exhausted during a migraine attack and still be unable to sleep. Pain may make it difficult to find a comfortable position, while nausea and sensitivity to light or sound can keep you awake.

In Migraine Buddy data, sleep is the most commonly logged relief method, recorded by 58% of users. This shows how commonly sleep is recorded as a response to an attack. It does not tell us whether sleep ended the attack or how much relief each person experienced.

Why being tired may not be enough

What can make falling asleep difficult

Feeling tired and being able to fall asleep are not always the same thing. Pain may make it difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position. Nausea and sensitivity to light or sound are recognized features of a migraine attack, and they may make falling asleep even harder.[2]

Migraine and sleep appear to involve some of the same brain systems, including areas involved in sleep regulation and pain processing.[1,3] Researchers are still working to understand exactly how the two are connected. The available evidence does not show that sleep will relieve or shorten every attack.

Small adjustments that may help you sleep

No option will work for every person or every attack. If sleep usually helps you during an attack, the following adjustments may make it easier to fall asleep.

Reduce light and noise

Find the darkest and quietest place available. Blackout curtains, an eye mask or earplugs may help reduce light and noise if they feel comfortable for you.

If you need to use your phone, lower the screen brightness. Putting the phone away may feel more comfortable if looking at the screen makes your symptoms harder to tolerate.

Try a cool compress

A cool compress on your forehead or neck may feel soothing for some people.[5] Wrap the compress in cloth and use it for up to 15 minutes. Stop if the cold feels uncomfortable.

Find a comfortable sleeping position

There is no established best sleeping position for a migraine attack. Use a supportive pillow and choose a sleeping position that does not put extra pressure on a painful area.

Follow your existing treatment plan

If nausea is keeping you awake, follow any nausea plan you have agreed with your healthcare professional.

If you have an acute treatment plan, continue to follow the instructions provided for you rather than changing how or when you use medication based on this article.

What research says about daytime naps

A six-week study followed 97 adults with episodic migraine. Daytime naps were not associated with worse sleep that night. However, the study did not establish whether taking a nap relieved or shortened an individual attack.[4]

The finding should not be interpreted as proof that napping treats a migraine attack. It tells us only that naps were not associated with poorer sleep that same night among the people studied.

If sleep does not come

Sometimes you may not be able to fall asleep, even after reducing light and noise and finding a comfortable place to lie down.

If sleep is not coming, you might shift the goal from falling asleep to resting as comfortably as possible. Quiet rest may still give you a break from light, noise and everyday demands.

If migraine attacks regularly interfere with your sleep, consider discussing this with a healthcare professional or headache specialist. They can review your symptoms and treatment plan with you.

What you may notice in your records

If you try one of these adjustments, you may want to log what you tried and whether you were able to fall asleep. Over time, you may notice which symptoms tend to appear when falling asleep is difficult and which relief methods you often record during those attacks.

These records cannot prove that one action caused an improvement or determine which treatment works. They can help you describe your experience and support a more focused conversation with your healthcare professional.

There is no single approach that will make sleep possible during every attack. Start with what feels manageable, follow your existing treatment plan and pay attention to the patterns you notice over time.

References

1. Waliszewska-Prosół M, Nowakowska-Kotas M, Chojdak-Łukasiewicz J, Budrewicz S. Migraine and sleep—an unexplained association? International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021;22(11):5539. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22115539
2. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society. The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition: Migraine without aura. https://ichd-3.org/1-migraine/1-1-migraine-without-aura/
3. Holland PR. Headache and sleep: shared pathophysiological mechanisms. Cephalalgia. 2014;34(10):725–744. https://doi.org/10.1177/0333102414541687
4. Vgontzas A, Mostofsky E, Hagan K, et al. Napping behavior in adults with episodic migraine: a six-week prospective cohort study. Sleep. 2022;45(3). https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsab273
5. American Migraine Foundation. Migraine home remedies. https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/migraine-home-remedies/