Keeping it short...

We're keeping HeadWay short this month, because I hope you have been overwhelmed (!) - in a good way! with lots of practical information from the Migraine World Summit!

For more information about getting the Migraine World Summit library of information for 2020, plus extra guides for migraine treatment, be sure to visit to visit the Migraine World Summit site here.

Let's talk about sleep.

Sleep schedules have long been a challenge for cluster headache and migraine sufferers. A new study shows why we might be missing this powerful connection even more than we realized.

So maybe a poor sleep can mean a headache the next day, right? Well, yes and no.

Poor sleep does not seem to be the cause of migraine or cluster, but it's certainly related. Could an oncoming attack interrupt sleep? Or could sleep trigger an attack?

A recent study published in Neurology last month has something surprising to teach us about the sleep link.

This study followed 98 patients with episodic migraine. The researchers wanted to look into "fragmented sleep", not just short sleeps. You know, when you wake up frequently at night - your sleep is "fragmented".

Surprisingly, the researchers did not find a significant link between fragmented sleep and migraine the next day. But what they did discover was that the following day, there was a link.

The statistics: Patients with fragmented sleep were 38% more likely to have a migraine attack not the next day, but the day after.

Could it be that the migraine attack actually started right away, but didn't turn into a headache until the following day? Whatever the case, this could mean that the relationship between fragmented sleep and migraine is being missed because it's often delayed by one day.

So we need to talk more about sleep. I want to hear your sleep questions, and observations. Visit the HeadWay MailRoom (see below) to ask your best questions!

Say what?! Circadian rhythm

When we talk about sleep, circadian rhythms come up a lot. Circadian rhythms (from cira - about and diem - day) is your "internal body clock" which runs on a (basically) 24 hour cycle, based on light and darkness. Disorders of the cicadian rhythm can lead to drowsy days, sleeping late, and even "fragmented sleep".

Thanks for reading! Remember, if you have feedback or ideas for future issues, visit the HeadWay MailRoom. Your password is nomoache.

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