Sleep and Migraine
If ever there was a story of a sophisticated relationship, it’s the story of sleep and the migraine mind. Get an excessive amount of sleep, and you’ll possible set off an assault. Get too little, and you’re additionally prone to set off an assault. Really feel drained and take a nap, and but once more that may set off an assault. Fatigue is a extremely widespread and debilitating symptom amongst these with migraine, and but many report migraine wakes them up and is the reason for not getting sufficient sleep. To complicate issues much more, for a lot of, sleep is usually the one factor that relieves the ache of a foul assault, and getting high quality sleep at evening has been proven to scale back head ache. So how can we navigate this ever so sophisticated relationship? Prioritizing sleep and sustaining good sleep hygiene is a vital place to start out. Listed here are some suggestions for getting your mind the remaining it wants.
8 Suggestions for Good Sleep Hygiene:
1. Create a constant sleep schedule.
It’s necessary to fall asleep, and get up, on the similar time day-after-day. Even on weekends. Based on the Nationwide Sleep Basis, most adults want between 7 and 9 hours of sleep an evening. Should you’re getting lower than that, attempt going to mattress about quarter-hour earlier every week and dealing your means as much as extra sleep time. Should you’re sleeping greater than that, attempt steadily waking up a bit earlier, as an excessive amount of sleep time can even set off assaults. When setting a sleep schedule, make very gradual adjustments so that you simply don’t shock your mind with an excessive amount of too shortly, as this can possible set off an assault – bear in mind, the migraine mind doesn’t like change, so take it gradual and simple.
2. Develop—and follow—a bedtime routine.
Once more, the migraine mind loves consistency. Growing calming bedtime rituals may also help your physique and thoughts unwind from the day, and ship indicators to your mind that it’s time to sleep. Some bedtime rituals might embody:
- Taking a heat tub or bathe
- Performing some mild stretching
- Listening to tender, soothing music
- Ingesting some tea (make sure that it’s caffeine-free!)
- Studying one thing mild and acquainted
3. Keep away from naps.
It is a tough one for these with migraine, as we so typically really feel exhausted. Taking lengthy naps throughout the day can sabotage our nighttime sleep, making a vicious cycle of by no means feeling well-rested. Should you should nap throughout the day, attempt to take a fast energy nap, sleeping solely 10—20 minutes, and do it earlier within the day so it doesn’t intrude together with your bedtime routine.
4. Create an setting conducive to sleep.
Your bed room ought to be calm and freed from distractions. Ideally, it ought to be a room used just for sleeping. Take into account the sunshine, noise and temperature of the room:
- Use darkish curtains or black out shades to dam pointless lights
- Attempt a white noise machine to neutralize noises throughout the evening
- Preserve the room cool and select light-weight sheets and bedding that gained’t get too sizzling throughout sleeping
5. Keep away from overstimulating actions earlier than bedtime.
Restrict display screen time, together with TV and social media scrolling, within the evenings and attempt to to not use any screens 1-2 hours earlier than bedtime. Likewise, keep away from listening to or studying something too stimulating near mattress, and take a look at to not get into any heated discussions or arguments near bedtime. Give your mind time to decompress earlier than it’s time to sleep.
6. Hydrate throughout the day and restrict fluids just a few hours previous to going to mattress.
Attempt to ensure you are getting sufficient fluids throughout the waking hours of the day. This will stop the necessity to make these pesky nighttime journeys to the toilet, which may typically result in wakefulness and lack of valuable sleep time, particularly as we become old.
7. Keep away from an excessive amount of caffeine.
Whereas caffeine may also help abort assaults for some, ingesting an excessive amount of or too late within the day could make it troublesome to go to sleep and may disturb your nighttime sleep patterns. Should you should have caffeine, restrict it to small quantities and drink it early within the day.
8. Keep energetic throughout the day.
Train can relieve stress and assist you sleep higher at evening. Simply be certain to not train too near bedtime. Learn extra about the advantages of train for migraine administration and methods to create an individualized train plan.
Prioritizing sleep and organizing your sleep schedule may also help you enhance the standard and size of your sleeping time, and assist you higher handle life with migraine.
In case you have tried the following tips and nonetheless have hassle getting enough sleep, discuss together with your physician. Underlying situations reminiscent of sleep apnea, stressed leg syndrome, bronchial asthma, GERD and thyroid points amongst others can significantly affect the standard of your sleep, so it’s necessary to cowl all bases.