Des millions de personnes appuient joyeusement sur le bouton « rappel d'alarme » et profitent d'une heure de sommeil supplémentaire à la fin de l'heure d'été. Par contre, les personnes souffrant de migraines peuvent redouter ce changement d'heure. En effet, les cerveaux souffrant de migraine apprécient plus un horaire régulier, et des changements soudains peuvent déclencher une crise.
Si vous souffrez de migraine et avez des problèmes pour dormir, vous n'êtes pas seul. A study found that people with migraine spend much less time in REM sleep, which is the most restful part. People with chronic migraine are more likely to have a sleep disorder. People living with consistent migraine often wonder how to sleep.
To sleep with a migraine, you should focus on establishing a relaxing bedtime routine and optimizing your sleep environment. This includes creating a consistent sleep schedule, dimming lights and limiting screen time, ensuring a cool and comfortable bedroom, and incorporating relaxation techniques like meditation or gentle exercise. If sleep problems persist, consider tracking your sleep patterns, consulting with a healthcare provider, and exploring drug-free migraine treatments like CEFALY.
How to sleep with migraine
Même si vous vivez avec la migraine, vous n'avez pas à subir des problèmes de sommeil et de fatigue. The end of daylight savings is a good time to make a resolution. Try some new ways to get a better night's rest. Here are some of the best ways to sleep with migraine:
1. Develop a better sleep schedule for migraine
Are sleep problems a migraine trigger for me?
Why do migraine attacks wake me up?
How can I get better sleep?
Si vous souffrez de migraine et que vous avez du mal à dormir, vous n'êtes pas seul(e). Insomnia — difficulty falling or staying asleep — is the most common sleep disorder among people with migraine.
Toutefois, les chercheurs n'ont toujours pas réussi à établir parfaitement le lien entre la migraine et le sommeil. It seems that migraine may cause disruptions in sleep, but sleep disruption may also trigger migraine. Clair comme de l'eau de roche, non ? The good news is that getting better sleep can potentially improve your symptoms.
2. Find out if sleep problems are a trigger for you
Bien que les scientifiques ne parviennent pas à s'accorder sur les raisons sous-jacentes du lien entre le sommeil et la migraine, il peut être très utile de déterminer comment vos propres habitudes de sommeil affectent la migraine. Comment ? Commencez par rassembler des données.
Vous pouvez vous procurer un tracker de sommeil, comme le Fitbit, l'anneau Oura ou un coussin qui se glisse sous votre matelas. Ces trackers enregistrent généralement différents aspect du sommeil, y compris :
Combien de temps dormez-vous chaque nuit
La qualité de votre sommeil : vous réveillez-vous souvent ? Vous retournez-vous ?
Les phases de votre sommeil, du sommeil léger au sommeil profond et le sommeil paradoxal
Les facteurs environnementaux qui affectent le sommeil, comme la température ambiante
Les facteurs liés au mode de vie qui affectent le sommeil, tels que l'exercice physique et la caféine
Une fois que vous aurez de meilleures informations sur la quantité et la qualité de votre sommeil, associez-les aux données de vos crises de migraine. Download the free CeCe Migraine Management app, which makes it easy to log attacks and identify trends and triggers.
Armed with data about your sleep and your migraine attacks, you'll see patterns emerge. Peut-être êtes-vous plus susceptible d'avoir une crise lorsque vous veillez tard plusieurs nuit de suite. Peut-être que le fait de trop dormir le week-end est-il à blâmer.
Vous pouvez aussi envisager de réaliser un examen du sommeil. Vous passez la nuit dans un centre du sommeil pendant que le personnel médical surveille vos ondes cérébrales et analyse vos cycles de sommeil. Ils peuvent identifier un problème sous-jacent grave, comme l'apnée du sommeil (lorsque vous arrêtez de respirer à intervalles réguliers pendant la nuit).
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3. Start — and stick to — a relaxing nighttime routine
Peut-être que vous vous couchez tous les soirs quand vous êtes épuisé(e). Vous restez peut-être debout trop tard à consulter votre téléphone ou à jouer à des jeux. Peut-être vous précipitez-vous chez vous pour essayer d'accomplir quelques dernières tâches avant le chaos matinal. Whatever your typical routine (or lack thereof), it could be why you can't sleep with migraine.
Any of these relaxing activities will allow your brain to wind down from the day and prepare your body for sleep. Another important part of your evening routine: a 20-minute CEFALY PREVENT treatment. Many users prefer to do their PREVENT treatment just before bed because the gentle neurostimulation often has a mild sedative effect, making you feel sleepy, drowsy, or relaxed.
4. Examine your sleep environment
Flat pillows. A too-warm comforter. Un vieux matelas qui s'affaisse. Sound familiar? Upgrading your bedroom can help upgrade your sleep as well. Même si vous avez un budget à suivre, vous pouvez apporter de petites améliorations, comme un sur-matelas, un nouvel oreiller ou des draps impeccables. A fan for air circulation and white noise can also help. Some migraineurs say a weighted blanket helps them sleep.
Tenez aussi compte de la tempéture ambiante et de la lumière. Réglez le thermostat entre65 et 69 degrés Fahrenheit (en fonction de vos propres préférences). Invest in light-blocking shades and low-watt bulbs or a dimmer. These changes may also help you feel better during a migraine attack, when all you want is cool darkness.
5. Be vigilant about cutting off caffeine
People with migraine often have a love-hate relationship with caffeine. Some people find that caffeine alleviates their migraine pain. For others, it’s a trigger. If you enjoy the occasional cup of joe, try to do so at least six hours before bedtime. Any closer, and it could disrupt your sleep and possibly trigger migraine.
Another good practice with caffeine is to track your consumption levels and compare them to your migraine. Try tracking how much caffeine you drink and when you usually drink it. Then, compare those amounts to your migraine and sleep patterns.
See if you spot any correlations. If you notice you get bad sleep or more frequent migraine attacks after caffeine, consider lowering your consumption.
6. Practice methods that can help you fall asleep — or fall back asleep
Sometimes you feel more than ready for a good night's sleep, only to lie down and find yourself awake for hours. Or, after finally falling asleep, you wake up a couple of hours later and find it impossible to drift off again. These sleep disturbances are even more common after daylight savings, when an hour's difference might throw off your sleep patterns.
Unfortunately, abrupt changes in sleeping patterns can trigger migraine attacks. So, practicing ways to help you drift off to sleep becomes very important for people with migraine. If you're concerned about migraine-preventing sleep, consider new relaxation methods.
Recently we shared some migraine relaxation techniques that can also be used for sleep, such as progressive muscle relaxation and breathing exercises.
Sometimes, we lie awake because of excessive worries about our current situations. Instead of ruminating, imagine your favorite place mentally. Whether it's a calm beach with crystal blue water or your peaceful back patio, envision yourself in this safe place. Try picturing the nearby sounds, smells and feelings that would occur while you're there. Let this visualization relax you, and it might take your mind off migraine pain or insomnia.
Try listening to comforting stories or meditations. If you have a favorite book that relaxes you or know of an effective meditation, keep that readily accessible. Find an audiobook, plug in your headphones and get lost in the words. Another way to fall asleep is to distract yourself with a puzzle. Try something like counting backward by sevens, or visualizing a favorite movie, scene by scene. Too often, we get so caught up in not being able to fall asleep that we let this stress keep us awake. If you focus on a mental puzzle instead, you distract yourself from these thoughts and induce sleep.
7. Pay close attention to light levels
As the CDC explains, being exposed to bright light two hours before bedtime could be one of the reasons you can’t sleep due to migraine. It will shift your sleep cycle later, so you fall asleep later in the evening and wake up later in the morning. Être exposé à une lumière vive le matin fait l'inverse : il ajuste votre cycle de sommeil plus tôt, de sorte que vous vous endormez plus tôt.
Si vous avez du mal à vous endormir le soir, tamisez les lumières de votre maison le soir, ou portez des lunettes de soleil foncées à l'intérieur. It's especially important to avoid the blue light emitted from phones and screens.
Migraine is different for everyone. Trying different treatments can help pinpoint an option that works for you. Consider these options to help with various symptoms:
Practice headache hygiene: Good headache hygiene means sticking to healthy, predictable routines for eating, drinking, exercise and sleep, including going to bed at the same time every night.
Try non-pharmacological migraine treatments: If medication affects your sleep cycle, consider a clinically proven alternative to medication: the CEFALY device. Il produit un léger effet sédatif chez de nombreux utilisateurs, les aidant à s'endormir. When the 20-minute PREVENT mode is used daily, it gradually desensitizes the trigeminal nerve to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks.
Cut out caffeine and alcohol: Not only are both substances known migraine triggers, but they can disrupt sleep as well. Drinking three or more caffeinated beverages per day may increase the chances of experiencing migraine.
9. Talk to your healthcare provider about chronic sleep problems
Poor sleep may be caused by a physical condition you're unaware of, such as sleep apnea or bruxism (grinding your teeth). Demandez à votre prestataire de soins de vous examiner si vous pensez que ces affections peuvent perturber votre sommeil.
L'insomnie peut aussi provoquer les attaques de migraine. The early morning is a peak time for migraine because pain medications tend to wear off then. Si vous souffrez de migraine au réveil, demandez à votre médecin quelles sont les options qui s'offrent à vous. Il pourrait par exemple s'agir de traitements préventifs de la migraine sans médicaments pour réduire l'intensité des douleurs et profiter d'une nuit de sommeil réparatrice. Healthcare providers can help inform you on how to sleep with migraine
10. Incorporate gentle exercise
Light exercise for 10 minutes daily in the morning has been shown to improve sleep quality and promote relaxation. It can also release chemicals that block pain signals to the brain, which can relieve migraine. Gentle stretching, yoga or a leisurely walk can help release tension in your body and calm a busy mind. Physical activity also increases melatonin production — a hormone that regulates sleep/wake cycles.
Avoid vigorous workouts close to bedtime. High-intensity exercise for more than 90 minutes in the evening is associated with difficulty sleeping. Aim for early mornings — if your schedule allows it, your activities should end at least an hour before bed. Consider incorporating breathing exercises or restorative yoga that target relaxation into your routine. These options can be beneficial for managing migraine.
11. Limit screen time before bed
Excessive screen time and blue light can interfere with your body’s sleep-wake cycle. Disconnect from your screens at least an hour before bedtime. Replace it with calming activities like reading, journaling or relaxation techniques. Create a screen-free zone in your bedroom to tell your body it’s time to wind down.
12. Stay hydrated
Dehydration is a significant migraine trigger for many. Make it a habit to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Aim for around 2.7 liters of water daily, depending on your activity level, climate and diet. Be mindful of your water intake in the hours before bedtime, though, or frequent trips to the bathroom will impact your sleep quality.
Pourquoi les crises de migraine me réveillent-elles au petit matin ?
Do you often wake up with migraine pain? Les motifs peuvent être complexes. Si vous prenez des médicaments le soir, leur effet peut s'estomper pendant la nuit et provoquer des douleurs migraineuses le matin. Le manque de caféine peut également être en cause. D'autres causes possibles sont la baisse du taux d'endorphine, la déshydratation et - vous l'avez deviné - les troubles du sommeil.
To identify the reasons for your morning migraine attacks, keep logs of your daily routines: food, drink, medication intake and sleep times. Voyez s'il existe une forte association entre l'un de ces facteurs et l'incidence des crises matinales.
Can you sleep off migraine?
For many, sleep can be beneficial to provide relief from migraine pain. Although it's important for those with migraine to stick to a regular sleep schedule, a brief nap can offer some relief.
En savoir plus sur CEFALY !
Sleeping with migraine requires an approach that prioritizes your long-term health and wellness. CEFALY is a clinically proven option for drug-free, long-term migraine prevention. As the #1 FDA-cleared wearable device for migraine, CEFALY lets you take control of your migraine treatments.
CEFALY has worked for many people with migraine — 63% of users in one study said their pain decreased by half or more after one hour of ACUTE treatment. Instead of leaving migraine pain to chance, try CEFALY for 90 days, risk free. Take a proactive approach to managing migraine today!
