Many people with chronic migraines also struggle with insomnia. Researchers have long believed that sleep problems and migraines are closely connected, and a recent study suggests that improving sleep habits could help reduce migraine symptoms.
In a study published in Thieme, Daniel de Godoy Andreis, PhD, of Universidade Federal do Paraná in Brazil, and his colleagues, examined 100 patients receiving treatment at a neurology clinic that specializes in headaches.
“We investigated the impact of sleep psychoeducation measures on clinical aspects of chronic migraine patients with sleep quality complaints, under the hypothesis that such interventions would benefit both migraine symptoms and insomnia difficulties,” said de Godoy Andreis.
All of the participants had chronic migraines, but not all of them reported sleep problems. Sixty-eight of the patients said they regularly experienced sleep difficulties, while the remaining 32 did not report significant issues with sleep.
The group with sleep complaints was asked to complete several well-known sleep assessments, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Insomnia Severity Index. These questionnaires helped researchers measure sleep quality, daytime sleepiness and the severity of insomnia symptoms. After completing the assessments, the patients received guidance on improving their sleep habits.
The advice included practical steps such as going to bed and waking up at consistent times, limiting stimulating activities before bedtime, creating a comfortable sleep environment and avoiding habits that may interfere with restful sleep. Participants were also given an informational booklet to reinforce these recommendations and help them apply the suggestions in their daily routines.
Over the next two to three months, the researchers monitored the patients’ progress. At the end of that period, the group that received sleep education completed the questionnaires again so the researchers could compare the results. The medical records of both groups were also reviewed to determine whether there had been any changes in the frequency or intensity of migraine attacks.
The findings were encouraging. Patients who received the sleep education reported improvements in their sleep quality and a noticeable decrease in the severity of their insomnia symptoms. Just as importantly, they also experienced fewer migraines and reported that their headaches were less intense than before the intervention. In contrast, the group that had not received the sleep-focused guidance did not show any significant change in their migraine frequency or severity during the same period.
De Godoy Andreis noted that “sleep psychoeducation, supported by an informative booklet, produced positive outcomes not only in sleep parameters, but also in reducing the frequency and intensity of headaches in chronic migraine sufferers.”
One area that did not show a major improvement was daytime sleepiness. Scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale remained relatively unchanged, suggesting that while patients were sleeping better and experiencing fewer insomnia symptoms, other factors may still be contributing to fatigue during the day.
Even so, the results highlight how closely sleep and migraines may be connected. For people with chronic migraine, improving sleep habits could become an important part of managing the condition alongside medication and other treatments. The researchers concluded that simple educational strategies focused on sleep can have meaningful benefits for both sleep quality and migraine symptoms.
While more studies are needed to confirm these findings, the research offers a hopeful takeaway. Sometimes small changes in daily routines, like prioritizing healthy sleep habits, may make a noticeable difference for people living with chronic migraines.