Sleep and Migraine Can Affect Each Other More Than You Might Realise
Have you noticed that a migraine attack seems more likely after a poor night’s sleep? Or perhaps migraine symptoms are the reason you cannot get a good night’s sleep in the first place.
The relationship between sleep and migraine can work both ways. Too little sleep, too much sleep, disrupted sleep and changes in your usual sleeping pattern may all be associated with migraine attacks, while migraine itself can make it harder to sleep well. Australian migraine organisations also emphasise regular sleep as an important part of migraine management.
Understanding that relationship can help you look beyond the headache itself and consider whether your sleep routine may be one part of your overall migraine pattern. This preserves the original article’s focus on the two-way relationship between poor sleep and migraine.
What Does the Research Tell Us About Sleep and Migraine?
Research supports a close association between sleep and migraine, although the relationship is complex. Sleep disorders, including insomnia, occur more commonly in people with migraine, and migraine can also interfere with sleep quality. A systematic review found substantial evidence of this bidirectional relationship.
This does not mean that every bad night of sleep will cause a migraine attack. Migraine is a neurological disorder influenced by multiple interacting factors, and individual triggers vary considerably.
However, changes to your normal sleep pattern may matter. Migraine Australia notes that too little, too much or broken sleep can all act as migraine triggers for some people. Going to bed or waking at substantially different times may also contribute.
Why Are Sleep and Migraine So Closely Connected?
For some people, yes. Poor sleep is a commonly reported migraine trigger, but it is better viewed as one possible contributor rather than a guaranteed cause.
You may notice an association after:
- going to bed much later than usual
- waking earlier than usual
- regularly waking throughout the night
- sleeping substantially longer than usual
- changing your sleep schedule between weekdays and weekends.
Keeping your sleep-wake times reasonably consistent may therefore be useful if changes in sleep appear to coincide with your attacks. Migraine Australia specifically recommends maintaining a regular sleep routine because both insufficient and excessive sleep can be problematic for some people.
Can Poor Sleep Trigger Migraine?
The other side of sleep and migraine is equally important.
Migraine attacks themselves can interfere with sleep, whether because of head pain or associated symptoms such as nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. Anxiety about another attack can also contribute to difficulty sleeping in some people.
This means that waking tired does not necessarily prove poor sleep caused your migraine. Sometimes the developing migraine process may already have been affecting your sleep.
Looking for patterns over time is usually more useful than blaming one isolated night.
How Can You Improve Sleep Patterns?
Improving sleep does not require a perfect bedtime routine. Consistency is often a more practical goal.
A few habits may be worth considering.
1. Keep Your Sleep Schedule Consistent
Try to go to bed and wake at roughly the same times each day, including weekends where practical.
Large shifts in your sleep schedule can be problematic for some people with migraine. A regular routine can support your body’s sleep-wake cycle and may also make it easier to identify whether sleep changes are associated with your attacks.
2. Create an Environment That Supports Sleep
A dark, quiet and comfortable bedroom can make it easier to settle at night.
Reducing stimulating screen use near bedtime may also be useful if it keeps you awake. The aim is not to create a complicated set of rules but to make your normal routine more supportive of consistent sleep.
3. Be Mindful of Caffeine
Caffeine can affect sleep, particularly when consumed later in the day. It can also interact with migraine in more complicated ways because both caffeine consumption and changes in habitual caffeine intake can matter for some people with migraine.
If you suspect caffeine is affecting your migraine pattern, consider tracking when and how much you consume rather than making abrupt changes without considering your usual intake.
4. Give Yourself Time to Wind Down
Stress and migraine are closely associated, and feeling alert or tense at bedtime can make sleep more difficult. A predictable wind-down routine may help you transition towards sleep.
That might mean reading, listening to something relaxing or simply allowing some quieter time before bed.
Should You Track Your Sleep?
A simple diary can be useful when sleep and migraine seem connected.
Rather than relying on memory, record information such as:
- when you went to bed and woke up
- whether your sleep was interrupted
- significant changes to your usual routine
- when your migraine symptoms began
- other possible contributing factors, such as stress, meals or caffeine.
Migraine diaries are commonly recommended because they can help reveal patterns over time rather than focusing too heavily on a single suspected trigger.
The aim is not to become anxious about every variation in your sleep. It is to gather enough information to make your migraine pattern easier to understand.
Does Your Pillow or Sleeping Position Affect Sleep?
If you regularly wake with neck discomfort as well as migraine, your pillow and sleeping position may be worth considering from a comfort perspective.
A pillow should allow you to rest comfortably rather than leaving your neck in an awkward position for hours. However, there is not good evidence that one particular pillow height or sleeping position treats migraine itself.
If persistent neck pain accompanies your headaches, that can be assessed separately to determine whether it requires its own management.
Small Changes Can Still Matter
The relationship between sleep and migraine is not as simple as saying that poor sleep causes migraine. For many people, the two influence each other, and migraine is affected by much more than sleep alone.
What can be helpful is looking for consistency. A regular sleep schedule, a comfortable sleeping environment and an awareness of your own patterns may help you identify whether disrupted sleep is one of the factors associated with your migraine attacks.
If your migraine problems persist, assessment can also help determine whether another sleep, headache or musculoskeletal issue needs attention.
Take the Next Step
If your migraine are regularly affecting your work, exercise or daily life, an individual assessment can help clarify the factors contributing to your symptoms and determine whether physiotherapy is appropriate or whether further medical or sleep assessment is needed.
Book a session with one of our clinician online or call 1800 432 322.
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References
International Headache Society. (2018). The International Classification of Headache Disorders (3rd ed.). Cephalalgia, 38(1), 1–211. https://doi.org/10.1177/0333102417738202
Rains, J. C. (2018). Sleep and migraine: Assessment and treatment of comorbid sleep disorders. Headache, 58(7), 1074–1091. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.13357
Kelman, L., & Rains, J. C. (2005). Headache and sleep: Examination of sleep patterns and complaints in a large clinical sample of migraineurs. Headache, 45(7), 904–910. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-4610.2005.05159.x
Sleep Foundation. (2023). Sleep hygiene tips for better sleep. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/
Buse, D. C., Rains, J. C., & Lipton, R. B. (2020). Sleep and migraine: Assessment and treatment. Neurologic Clinics, 37(4), 775–789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ncl.2019.07.008
