Migraine while sleeping
Now this rarely happens to me but I was wondering if someone might help me figure out what having a migraine while you’re sleeping could mean. This happened just last night and as I was sleeping I suddenly woke up with my aura already forming and I managed to go back to sleep but my migraine still carried on. I was wondering if this has happened to anyone else and if it’s something weird or normal that occurs or something I need to be worried about? Also would something be happening in my sleep that causes the migraine or is it something that happens when I’m awake and the migraine just happens to be hitting me while I’m sleeping?
@samprice28 I've had a similar experience on multiple occasions. I've awakened from a sound sleep only to wake up with the attack in full swing. I do have some issues with my neck so I don't know if that could be a cause. I also have found if I eat a food that potentially can trigger an attack before going to bed can cause one of those types of attacks. I'm sorry you have to experience these attacks, but just know you are not alone. Warmly, Cheryl migraine team member
thank you very much for your reply and nice words!! I appreciate it! And I was thinking that it could be food related as well because I had eaten dinner at around 7 and I’m pretty sure the migraine hit me at around 12 so I figured if it hit me that quick it could’ve been the food. I also may have stress on my neck or I also read somewhere that you can sometimes clinch your jaw in your sleep which can cause a headache, either way I’m glad to know I’m not alone and again I appreciate the reply! @samprice28 I understand how important it is to know we are not alone in our fight against migraine disease! Food triggers can be really tricky to figure out. Good luck finding yours lol. Warmly, Cheryl migraine team member
Hey there! Great question -- it's actually a frequent topic around here, so you're definitely not alone. As with any migraine, the reasons why it's happening are often unique for each person. It could be your eating and sleeping schedules, teeth grinding or nerve pain from the way you sleep, a sleep disorder, diet, stress ... I know that's probably not super helpful, but I dug up a few past discussions on this topic that may be interesting to you. Maybe something you read will resonate, or at least start a good conversation with your doctor: https://migraine.com/forums/wake-migraine
I'm curious to see what other responses you get. We're here for you if you have more questions! -Melissa, migraine.com team
yeah that is one of my biggest problems I’m struggling with right now. I know a lot of migraines I’ve had could be attributed to my sleep schedule being completely disrupted. I do really need to get a schedule going but so many things constantly change my sleep schedule so it’s sometimes hard to keep to a strict schedule but I’ll definitely try and get it in shape! Thank you very much for the help!! I totally hear you -- my own sleep schedule is a disaster. No trouble sleeping, it's just actually getting myself to bed consistently. Good luck! 😁 -Melissa, migraine.com team
I would say that most of my migraines start in the early hours of the morning while I am still asleep, so when I wake up it's already getting going. The upside is that if I get up right away and take my triptan pill, and go back to bed, I can usually fall back asleep and it will be winding down when I actually get up.
If it's still there after an hour or 2 of sleep, I can take Tylenol 3 rescue medication, or sometimes just a cup of strong coffee will help blow the remnants of the migraine away.
Thanks so much for sharing your opinion on caffeine and its interplay with migraine. I think you will find a wide variance on this site of folks who utilize different solutions with different outcomes. There are so many millions of us out there with migraine who have different triggers and different solutions that do and don't work for us- it's definitely a "to each his/her own" world out there. Glad you've figured out that caffeine doesn't work for you. We definitely have seen that, taken at the right time, in the right amount, caffeine can work well for others to help manage their condition. Glad you're with us! Stay in touch. Warmly- Holly (migraine.com team). Thanks so much for pointing that out. Here's a resource we have on that topic and caffeine as well for those who may like to learn more: https://migraine.com/clinical/acetaminophen-nsaids
Warmly- Holly (migraine.com team).
