Every fifth patient suffering from chronic headaches, changing sleep patterns is a frequent trigger for headaches.
It is believed that not only an excess, but also a lack of sleep worsens the course of chronic headaches. That is why in patients with chronic headaches, the recommended duration of a night’s sleep is 6-8 hours. Recommendations for observing sleep patterns are presented below.
Ways to improve sleep:
1. Plan the duration of a night’s sleep (at least 6 and not more than 8 hours)
2. Use the bed only for sleep and sex. Do not watch TV in bed
3. Clearly observe certain hours of waking up and going to bed.
4. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, avoid daytime naps.
5. Avoid taking stimulants in the evening (caffeine, nicotine).
6. Daily aerobic exercise. Add stretch for 15 minutes before bedtime.
7. At bedtime, use relaxation techniques.
According to an uncontrolled study, the use of 3 mg of melatonin 30 minutes before sleep for 3 months reduces the frequency of migraine attacks by 61%, and the severity by 51%. In some patients taking melatonin, side effects were noted, such as an increase in the duration of sleep, hair loss and an increase in libido. To date, there is no data from controlled studies of the effectiveness of melatonin.