Habit 3: Sleep Hygiene

Habit 3: Sleep Hygiene

What is it?

Sleep quality is a key aspect of overall health, influencing physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being. Good sleep is not just about duration, but also about depth, continuity, and restorative value. Poor sleep quality has been linked to a range of health issues such as mood disturbances, weakened immunity, and chronic conditions.

Regimen:

• What - Consistent bedtime/wake within 30 min, limit blue-light ≥1 h pre-sleep

• How much - 7–9hours/night

How does it work?

1. Good sleep steadies the brain’s “control centers” (hypothalamus and brainstem) that manage both sleep and migraine signals, so regular sleep makes the brain less likely to trigger an attack.

2. Keeping a stable sleep schedule protects circadian chemicals (melatonin, orexin, adenosine) that lower brain excitability and raise the pain threshold, so you’re less sensitive to the hormone drop that happens during your period.

3. Better sleep cuts stress and inflammation, so restful nights mean the same perimenstrual hormonal change is less likely to set off a headache.¹

What is the efficacy?

Methods: The first study collected questionnaire data from over 2,000 women (premenopausal and perimenopausal), assessing sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and comparing it with self-reported migraine history, while adjusting for factors like mood and menopause symptoms. The second was a systematic review that analyzed published studies on migraine and sleep disorders. Together, these approaches helped evaluate how sleep quality is linked to migraine occurrence and severity in women, particularly around reproductive stages.^1,2

Results: In the first study, 71.2% of women reported poor sleep. A history of migraine was significantly linked to poor sleep in both premenopausal and perimenopausal women. The review showed that poor sleep increases migraine frequency and severity.

Conclusion: Good sleep quality is closely linked with fewer and less severe migraines, especially in premenopausal women, where the association is strongest. Addressing sleep problems or better sleep hygiene can significantly reduce migraine burden, including menstrual-related migraines.

References

1. Tiseo C, Vacca A, Felbush A, Filimonova T, Gai A, Glazyrina T, Hubalek IA, Marchenko Y, Overeem LH, Piroso S, Tkachev A. Migraine and sleep disorders: a systematic review. The journal of headache and pain. 2020 Dec;21(1):126.

2. Faubion SS, Ghaith S, Kling JM, Mara K, Enders F, Starling AJ, Kapoor E. Migraine and sleep quality: does the association change in midlife women?. Menopause. 2023 Apr 1;30(4):376-82.