Scientists Discover Why Lack of Sleep Worsens Migraine Symptoms

Migraines are a common neurological disorder that affect approximately 15% of the global population, with significant impact on individuals' quality of life.

For the first time, researchers have studied what happens in the brains of people who have migraines when they haven’t slept enough.

The findings, published in Cephalalgia, showed that sleep deprivation can exacerbate migraine symptoms, offering new insights into the neurological processes behind these debilitating headaches.

The connection between sleep and migraines

Migraine sufferers are often familiar with the role sleep plays in both alleviating and triggering their symptoms. It is widely acknowledged among sufferers that proper sleep can reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. However, disturbed sleep and sleep deprivation are also known triggers for migraine onset, suggesting a complex relationship between sleep and the brain's response to pain.

Recent research led by Petter Moe Omland, a medical doctor and postdoctoral fellow at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), explored how insufficient sleep affects the brain in people with migraines. The study found that migraine patients experienced heightened sensitivity to pain after sleep deprivation, indicating that the brain’s ability to dampen pain signals is impaired in these individuals.

“It is well known that sleep can relieve migraine headaches, migraine attacks can start during or after sleep, and many people with migraine say that disturbed sleep triggers attacks,” said Omland.

"Now we know more about the link between pain and sleep."

Brain activity measurements show differences in cerebral cortex response

The study involved two separate trials with 140 participants, including both migraine patients and healthy controls. Each participant underwent two separate testing sessions: one following two nights of normal sleep and another after two nights of restricted sleep. Participants were also asked to keep a sleep diary and use an electronic device to track their sleep patterns.

During the experiments, participants wore EEG (electroencephalogram) caps to measure brain activity while being subjected to two types of pain stimuli: laser-induced pain and electrical stimulation. The study revealed that after sleep deprivation, the cerebral cortex in migraine sufferers showed altered responses to pain compared to the control group.

“None of this was dangerous, but it was clearly uncomfortable. People with migraine are incredibly good at volunteering for trials because they want there to be more knowledge about the disease,” commented Omland.

The researchers found that sleep deprivation affected systems in the brain that typically suppress pain, causing these systems to function less effectively in people with migraines. This reduced pain modulation suggests that the brain in migraine sufferers processes pain signals differently when sleep-deprived, making them more vulnerable to migraine attacks.

Insights into the brain’s pain processing mechanisms

The findings suggest that the mechanisms responsible for dampening pain may not work as efficiently in people with migraines, resulting in heightened pain sensitivity. Omland’s research team has also linked sleep deprivation to disruptions in nerve cell activation regulation, a crucial process for controlling the brain’s response to sensory stimuli. These findings could potentially open new avenues for treatment strategies aimed at restoring proper pain modulation in migraine sufferers.

Omland, who has personally experienced migraine attacks due to sleep deprivation, emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying mechanisms of migraine to improve treatment options. 

“I had small children, worked as a doctor and was a researcher as well. After a long period when I slept very little, I started waking up with severe migraine attacks in the middle of the night. It was very troublesome. My brain obviously couldn’t stand sleeping so little for a long time. The fact that I got these headaches myself became an extra motivation to understand more,” Omland said.

This research highlights the importance of sleep in the management of migraines, offering new perspectives on how insufficient sleep can worsen symptoms.

By understanding the neurological connections between sleep deprivation and migraine attacks, scientists hope to develop more effective treatments for people who suffer from this widespread condition. Omland hopes that these insights will lead to better management strategies for individuals whose migraines are triggered or worsened by poor sleep.

Reference: Omland PM, Hansen JO, Neverdahl JP, et al. Migraine and insufficient sleep: The effect of sleep restriction on nociceptive evoked potentials in migraine. Cephalalgia. 2025. doi: 10.1177/03331024251329400

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