The relationship between sleep and migraine is complex and cyclical. Does a migraine cause a night of terrible rest? Or is it the other way round? It’s difficult to know for sure. Nearly half of migraine attacks happen between 4am and 9am**, says Simon Evans, chief executive of Migraine Action. But nobody knows exactly why.
What we do know is that migraine affects all sufferers differently, and so we all need as much advice – and as many tips – as possible.
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
Blue light, emitted by electronic devices like mobile phones and tablets, wakes up your brain. By interfering with the hormones your body releases that encourage you to sleep, it tricks your grey matter into thinking you need to be awake, says Brennan. Quick fix: switch it off. Avoid anything that emits blue light for at least an hour before you go to bed. Lack of sleep is a well-known migraine trigger and exposure to tech late at night is one of our society’s most common, and costly, mistakes. Switch off the Netflix. It’s science. Not rocket science.
SOUND THE ALARM
Put your phone down (see above!). But, more importantly, leave it in another room to the one you sleep in. Fail to do so and, if and when you wake in the night, you’ll be tempted to check the time – and from there it’s a tiny step down the rabbit hole: Twitter notifications; emails; the millions of other notifications cascading through the internet and on to your three-inch screen. Suddenly, it’s 6am – and you haven’t slept a wink. Both sleepless nights and being fatigued can trigger migraine. Grab a non-electronic alarm clock which emits no light – the more old school the better – and wake up like your parents did in the days of yore.
BRUSH IT OFF
Particularly if you’re having issues with your sleep, it’s worth developing a 30-minute wind down routine before bed. This might include a bath – which can help to induce drowsiness (and is also just a very pleasant thing to do). Without wishing to sound like your mother, you should also brush your teeth, but it’s not a great idea to make your two-minute dental assault the last thing you do before sleep: the bright lights of the bathroom will wake you up. Instead, make teeth brushing the start of your wind down, and if you fail to drop off quickly read a book – not an e-reader! – until you feel yourself slipping away.
KEEP YOURSELF REGULAR
As previously stated, we’re not your mum, but we do advise you to give yourself a bed time. And stick to it. Through repetition – even at weekends, we’re afraid – your body will learn when to get drowsy and when it’s time to wake up. Bed at 10.30. Up at 6.30 with the lark. Every day – and, yes, that includes Sunday. No, really. Trust us, it works.
SEE THE LIGHT
At night time, you want your bedroom to be as dark as possible - good solid curtains can essentially double as black out blinds. In the morning, give your brain a little helping hand by turning on bright lights as soon as you can after you wake. Or, better yet, invest in a dawn simulator alarm clock, which will slowly get brighter and ease you from slumber more kindly than the shriek of your alarm. Finally, even if you’re really busy at work, ensure you head outside for your 30 minutes of sunshine every day. We know it’s cloudy. Do it anyway.
DRINK AWARE
Everyone knows too much caffeine is the simplest way to guarantee a sleepless night, but few are aware of just how damaging to your shuteye an afternoon espresso hit can be. Shirk any form of caffeinated beverage for a minimum of six hours before you turn in – but don’t cut out your Starbucks habit entirely. For some people going cold turkey on coffee can be a trigger factor for migraine. A coffee or three in the morning is fine. Mid-afternoon cut ‘em out. And that includes espresso martinis: alcohol might help you get to sleep faster, but the quality of your slumber will be significantly reduced.
For more information about living with migraine, please visit Migraine.org.uk
Article Source - Women's Health
