Pages

Tuesday 2 October 2012

Migraine and Sleep: Migraine Mum's top 6 tips for good sleep hygiene!

Yawn.

Migraine Mum is tired.

No one told me that having children meant that you'd never sleep properly again!

Does this sound familiar to you?..........

Midnight toilet trips escorting child no 2, crying (not me!), snoring (not me again!), next doors children waking up and crying, migraine pain waking me up at 2am, 3am, 4am and yes, 5am (me wandering around the house looking for drugs, ice packs, cold flannels), child no 3's 4th birthday....3 excited children all awake at 550am (yes the same night I had been up on and off all night with a migraine!). And all this was made worse by me having late nights watching Inspector Montelbano (fantastic) and Doctor Who (It was me crying last night after seeing Amy and Rory died!)

We all know that lack of sleep is a trigger for migraine. And too much sleep for that matter! No wonder it's hard to be wild! I can hear my migraine brain saying "ooh, you'd better not do that, you need to go to bed", "ahh, I don't believe you wanted to do that! Haven't you learnt that a lie in makes you feel worse?!" "Don't do that! You might get tired!!!" Oh, there must be a healthier way of managing all of this.

Well yes! It's called: 'Good Sleep Hygiene'. Here's Migraine Mum's top 6 tips
1. Check your bed.....do you need a new one?! (we saved up for a new one after working out our existing one was probably about 25 yrs old. That explained the weird clunking noises and back ache!)
2. Ear plugs: I've also just treated myself to a pair of luxurious ear plugs. I figure if the children are really crying for me, my husband will be sure to tell me!!
3. Early nights. I have made a pact with a friend today to get an early night. Into bed by 10pm......if one of us goes to bed later than that, then there will be a forfeit!! I'd better speed up on this blog then!
4. Naps. When I'm really struggling for sleep, I take a daytime nap. I realize the desperate need for sleep when I am reading stories to my children and they say to me "mummy, why have you got that funny voice?"...and I say in my slurred speech, "well, that's me being clever, reading and sleeping at the same time!"
5. Don't over complicate things on the days you are feeling washed out. I am quite stubborn. If I have decided to cook a Shepherd's pie one day even though I know I am tired and feeling migrainy, along side having multiple deliveries and pick ups of 3 children at various clubs, friends....whatever, basically I am like a bee buzzing around with it's bottom on fire, I still do it! Why?
6. Relaxation: baths, meditations: see www.topguidedmeditations.com (website and app available) If I can't sleep, I find the meditation for getting to sleep really helpful.See also 'headspace', available on from iTunes or android.

Also, read Alex Nesbitt's article at the Migraine Trust for loads more information on good sleep hygiene www.migrainetrust.org/research It's called "Sleep and Migraine: Reluctant Bedfellows?"

Good night From Migraine Mum, hope your sleep brings peace from your little ones, rest and good health. x