Sleep Sweet Sleep

I slept poorly my entire life. This affected my mental and physical health. After developing migraine, sleep became more crucial. Only a trip to the hospital or sleep ended a migraine flare.

Migraine and sleep disorder

At my first neurology appointment for migraine, I was also diagnosed with REM Sleep Behavior Disorder. In treating that parasomnia, my migraine flare frequency dropped dramatically.

Recently, I had a flare come on while on a day trip with family. I took some of my medications. Due to the side effects, I avoid taking my triptan if away from home if at all possible. We cut our day short and headed home. I had drove to the city. However, with the migraine flare in full force, I passed the keys to family and took the passenger seat home. During the hour drive, I dozed. I almost always doze off as a passenger and the medications just enhanced my drowsiness.

Relief after sleeping

Once awake, I found the flare, the pain, the vertigo, all of it diminished. This is rare without the triptan. With activity (walking into the house, squaring things away, showering, etc) I found the intensity and quantity of the symptoms rising again. I put myself to bed without further medication. A few hours later, I woke feeling as well as if I had taken a triptan and had it worked—only without a medication hangover.

Does sleeping help with migraine?

Now, I am wondering to try sleep as a first therapy. Early. Very early for the slow-building migraine flares. (I also get sudden flares with seconds of aura warning—these always require triptans). It may be terribly inconvenient. I may have to find a way to safely sleep in my car. But if just sleeping, even though I do not feel tired, can abort a migraine, why do I wait until night to sleep?

Who else finds sleep (natural or medication-induced) to be the most effective migraine abortive? And have you found any way to sleep if you are away from home?

Thanks