Changing Sleep Habits May Lead to Fewer Headaches (Adapted from the NHF Headlines May/June 2007 issue. This is the newsletter of the National Headache Foundation) A pilot study looked at the sleep problems in 147 women with transformed migraine. Individuals with this type of headache report a history of migraines that slowly over time increased in frequency eventually progressing to a near daily headache. This headache appears very similar to that seen in rebound headache, a dull or tension-like daily headache, with occasional episodes of more typical migraines several times per month. The study found that at baseline 80% of the women felt tired on arising, none felt restored. They also found that the poor sleep quality was very likely related to poor sleep hygiene. 80% of the women watched TV or read in bed; 70% awakened one to six times per night to urinate; two-thirds had difficulty falling asleep; and over 60% took occasional naps to compensate for daytime fatigue and drowsiness. They Addressed Five Sleep Habits to Reduce Headaches - Set regular sleep times. Bedtime and waking times shouldn't vary more than half an hour from day to day, including weekends. - Don't watch TV, read, listen to music or do work in bed - Practice visualization techniques to fall asleep quickly (these techniques were taught to the women) - Eat dinner at least four hours before bedtime and limit fluids within two hours of bedtime - Do not nap The women averaged 24 headache days in the preceding four weeks and their migraines had transformed to chronic headaches for an average of 11 years prior to the study enrollment. Their average age was 34. The placebo control group who received no instructions, had no improvement. In the group who received sleep instruction, at the first follow-up, they reported a 29% decrease in headache frequency and a 40% decrease in headache intensity. Most importantly, a third of the women receiving sleep instructions reverted back to experiencing only episodic migraine, reversing 11 years of chronic daily headache. This number of patients reverting back to episodic migraine, increased to approximately 50% by the third follow-up visit. (This includes 43% of the original placebo group who later received sleep instructions and 58% of those patients who had two sessions of sleep instruction). On my Sleep web pages you'll find many of these same instructions and even a recommended CD-rom. On my Mind-Body web pages you’ll find down loadable audio-files that can teach you meditation techniques. Return to Headaches

Changing Sleep Habits May Lead to Fewer Headaches

(Adapted from the NHF Headlines May/June 2007 issue. This is the newsletter of the National Headache Foundation)

A pilot study looked at the sleep problems in 147 women with transformed migraine. Individuals with this type of headache report a history of migraines that slowly over time increased in frequency eventually progressing to a near daily headache. This headache appears very similar to that seen in rebound headache, a dull or tension-like daily headache, with occasional episodes of more typical migraines several times per month.

The study found that at baseline 80% of the women felt tired on arising, none felt restored. They also found that the poor sleep quality was very likely related to poor sleep hygiene. 80% of the women watched TV or read in bed; 70% awakened one to six times per night to urinate; two-thirds had difficulty falling asleep; and over 60% took occasional naps to compensate for daytime fatigue and drowsiness.

They Addressed Five Sleep Habits to Reduce Headaches

- Set regular sleep times. Bedtime and waking times shouldn't vary more than half an hour from day to day, including weekends.

- Don't watch TV, read, listen to music or do work in bed

- Practice visualization techniques to fall asleep quickly (these techniques were taught to the women)

- Eat dinner at least four hours before bedtime and limit fluids within two hours of bedtime

- Do not nap

The women averaged 24 headache days in the preceding four weeks and their migraines had transformed to chronic headaches for an average of 11 years prior to the study enrollment. Their average age was 34.

The placebo control group who received no instructions, had no improvement. In the group who received sleep instruction, at the first follow-up, they reported a 29% decrease in headache frequency and a 40% decrease in headache intensity. Most importantly, a third of the women receiving sleep instructions reverted back to experiencing only episodic migraine, reversing 11 years of chronic daily headache. This number of patients reverting back to episodic migraine, increased to approximately 50% by the third follow-up visit. (This includes 43% of the original placebo group who later received sleep instructions and 58% of those patients who had two sessions of sleep instruction).

On my Sleep web pages you'll find many of these same instructions and even a recommended CD-rom. On my Mind-Body web pages you’ll find down loadable audio-files that can teach you meditation techniques.

Return to Headaches