Poor sleep quality may cause migraine - simple ways to mitigate it!!

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Migraine. pinrest.com.

Sleep problems  are global  and are said to be most self-defeating  symptoms of migraines. Lack of sleep may cause migraines or it may be other way round!! The frustrating thing is migraines, that may last  from a few hours to a few days, are, actually,  a severe headache that may put the suffer out of action for sometime, and she or he will take refuge in the comfort of a soft,  cozy bed.  It may vary from throbbing, moderate to severe head pain across the head or  confined  to one side.  Reports say there are 35 million  sufferers in the US, mostly women. This is true of countries like India where heat and humidity  are serious problems. Many sufferers would go after quick-fix rather than a permanent remedy. They buy over the counter medication and do not see a doctor to get to the bottom of their sleeplessness or migraine.

 The symptoms of migraine  are sensitivity to light or flashes of light (often described as auras), blurred vision, vomiting and pain in the tummy, lack of appetite and vertigo. The suffers should check with an eye doctor if they have any vision problem or increase in power of their eye-glasses.   Doctors  are at a loss to understand  the real cause of  migraines. They claim they are more related to  neurological problems. Migraines tend to run in families but can also be brought on by environmental factors like changes in weather, altitude, travel and sleep.   Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have both been linked with migraines Mind you it is a first warning sign, and both may lead to less restful sleep that eventually becomes sleep deprivation, which triggers migraines. It is reported that  nearly half of migraines are known as “awakening headache” meaning it occurs  between 4 and 9am in the morning and about  71% of migraine sufferers experience this type of headache.  When it does occur regularly, it is quite obvious that it’s often a sign of a sleep disorder.

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According to the American Migraine Foundation, migraine sufferers are  likely to suffer  sleep disorders 2 to 8 times. In the case of  insomniacs, due to sleep deprivation, they  experience irritation, and lack of concentration during the day. Anxiety  and stressful regimental daily life may trigger a headache. Many research studies point out there is a positive link between lack of sleep and incidence of migraines.

The largest prospective  study using objective  measures of sleep  to evaluate its  links with neurological diseases observed that sleep disorders or disturbance might trigger  migraine headaches. This new study may come up with better  interventions for treating the condition. This research study was published in the Neurological  Journal, USA in the third week of December, 2019. The study observed that sleep fragmentation - time spent in bed but not asleep was linked to the onset of migraine not on the next day, rather the following day after that - this seems to be a new revelation regarding the incidence of migraine headache that affects large chunk of the population. Neither sleep duration nor self-reported
low- quality sleep  was associated with  high risk of migraine over the next day or day after. The researchers did not find any correlation  between them. 
The real causes of migraine and its association with sleep disturbances  are not yet firmly established so far.  Co-author Suzanne Bertisch of Brigham Women's Hospital, Utah  reported that many patients came to her clinic for treatment of insomnia. But, the research work on this particular study is not clear about what kind of  sleep intervention is helpful to reduce the risk of migraine headache.
 If you wake up regularly with  headaches or feel tired during the day due to lack of sleep  previous night or feel depressed and irritable or experiencing  lack of focus during the day, and if you have one of the above symptoms, it is likely that you may have sleep disorder. Be cool, and it is not the end of the world, every problem has a remedy. 

Follow the following simple methods to mitigate your migraine/ sleep disorder problems:
01. The first step to bring your sleep back is to get to the bed at night and get up from the bed in the morning at the right time on a regular basis.  
02. Let your bedtime be a relaxing and quiet  one to calm your mind and nerves.    
03. Nice to go  for a warm bath and explore meditation before retiring to bed. Besides, set aside some time for meditation or yoga and focus your mind on something that pleases you very much.
04. It is said inhaling lavender essential oil, in particular,  will  reduce  migraine symptoms and induce sleep. 
05. When it comes to dinner, watch out. What you eat is essential for your body and mind.  The more you eat, the more you may feel uncomfortable at midnight. Be careful about flatulent stomach. 
06. As much as possible avoid fatty, greasy and sugary  food loaded with fat. Say no no to 'fast food'. 
07. Avoid watching either TV or touch phone  videos. Reduce its brightness to a comfortable level, if need be. 
08. It is a good idea to avoid alcohol and caffeine later in the day. Both of them may  interfere with sleep.

Never fail to bear in mind that a healthy, but controlled  diet will go a long way to promote healthy sleep so is prolonged viewing of cellphones, etc.

https://www.tuck.com/migraines-and-sleep/https://www.tuck.co/migraines-and-sleep
The New Indian Express (Tiruchy edition,TN) dated December 18, 2019; page:16:: ''Low sleep quality triggers migraine''