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How To Sleep With A Migraine: Improved Sleep Habits
Why Can’t You Sleep With A Migraine?
Do you ask yourself, “how do I sleep with a migraine”? Studies have shown that sleep disorders highly correlate with migraine attacks. Poor sleeping habits can be a trigger for migraine. For example, statistics have shown that people experiencing insomnia also suffer greatly from migraine. Here are some sleep disorders that are commonly associated with migraine:
Insomnia and Migraine
Migraine and insomnia are highly linked to each other. Simply put, insomnia is a sleep disorder that results in poor quality or lack of sleep. It is found that insomnia is more prevalent in people suffering from migraine than those without headaches. However, migraine and insomnia also have a bidirectional relationship. People who have never experienced chronic headaches and suffer from insomnia have a higher risk of developing migraine later on. In addition, people with migraine are twice as likely to develop insomnia compared to those without migraine. Knowing how to overcome insomnia might be key to helping us to find out how to sleep with a migraine.
Sleep Apnea and Migraine
Migraine is also associated with sleep-related breathing disorders, like sleep apnea. An example of a sleep-related breathing disorder is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It involves consistent airflow reduction due to the obstruction of upper airways during sleep. Sleep apnea can be classified into partial (hypopnea) or complete (apnea) obstruction of the upper airways during sleep. People who suffer from sleep apnea are more likely to experience tension-type headaches and awakening headaches.
How To Sleep With A Migraine With Improved Sleep Habits
Keeping a sufficient and consistent sleeping schedule with improved sleep habits is important in helping the #MigraineWarriors who are wondering how to sleep with a migraine. The American Migraine Foundation recommends between 7 to 8 hours of sleep, each night. Sticking to a regular sleep schedule will help ensure sleeping and waking time is not compromised. Irregular sleeping hours and patterns increase the risk of having migraine attacks.
Avoid Day Time Naps
Daytime naps could also impact a regular sleeping schedule, making it harder to fall asleep at night. However, taking naps could help alleviate the pain felt during migraine attacks. Essentially, keeping a regular sleep schedule minimizes the risk of having migraine attacks but taking naps during migraine attacks could help with migraine relief.
Create A Dark And Relaxing Environment
Having the right environment to sleep in will help you feel more relaxed, making it easier to fall asleep. One of the ways to implement improved sleep habits involves making the environment more comfortable by including a humidifier, weighted blankets, and blackout curtains.
Sleep With A Migraine With Melatonin
Melatonin, a hormone that facilitates sleep, is naturally produced by the body and its production is closely tied to light. When our eyes are exposed to light, it halts the production of melatonin. Additionally, daily cycles of melatonin production normalize circadian rhythm, reinforcing a stable sleep-wake schedule. The Cicardian rhythm is a person’s internal body clock that is tied to light patterns.
Get Better Sleep With Migraine?
Understanding how migraine affects sleep, and vice-versa and implementing migraine improved sleep habits can enable you to alleviate symptoms and live a better life.
Join our #MigraineBuddy Community and work towards a migraine-free life! Start tracking migraine now and live the best life you can as a #MigraineWarrior.
