“The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.” E. Joseph Cossman
Having a good diet is key. Now let’s take a look at your sleep patterns or habits.
Pay attention to your sleep habits and you will decrease the chance and intensity of your migraines. People with migraines, and until recently I was one of them, say that it affects their sleep, but it can be the other way around. You may have chronic migraines because you are not sleeping well.
It may sound almost too simple, right? Migraine specialists always advise their patients to pay attention to what they call “good sleep hygiene.”
Migraine sufferers who cleaned up their “sleep” act reduced the frequency of their headaches by 29% and the intensity of their headaches by 40% compared to those who did not change their sleep habits. You can transform a chronic migraine into an episodic headache simply by improving your lifestyle habits, such as diet, exercise, and sleep.
Are you sleeping well at night? Why is this so important?
Well, because sleep deprivation or insomnia affects two key hormones: ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates the appetite. Higher levels make people hungry. Leptin causes a feeling of satisfaction and fullness. Leptin sends the message to your brain that you are full. Sleep problems cause higher ghrelin levels and lower leptin levels; your body isn’t getting the message that you’re full, so your appetite increases.
Also, while you sleep, this is the only time your heart slows down and takes it easy on pumping blood to the brain and the rest of the body so it can function efficiently.
Sleep deprivation causes an imbalance in this system and makes your immune system vulnerable. Even if you’re not an insomniac but have trouble sleeping, lack of rest can cause some severe headaches.
Action Tip: Make sure your sleeping area is airy and clean. Eat (healthily) four hours before bed. Don’t read, watch TV, or listen to music in bed, and limit your fluid intake to two hours before bed. When you’re in bed and having trouble sleeping, try some breathing exercises, visualize yourself somewhere you love (for example, by the sea or in the mountains), or drink a glass of warm milk. Breathing exercises will relax your muscles, visualizing your favorite place and feeling those warm sensations will relax your mind and drinking warm milk will relax your stomach.
Visualize that you fall asleep easily!