An Exploration of Sleep Hygiene as a Predictor of Migraine Headache Disability

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between migraine disability and sleep hygiene. Specifically, the potential impact of sleep hygiene on migraine disability, and sleep hygiene acting as a mediator for the relationship between sleep efficiency and migraine disability were of interest. Ninety-five undergraduate participants were surveyed to measure migraine disability and sleep hygiene, in addition to other known covariates of migraine disability. Results indicated a positive correlation between poor sleep hygiene and migraine disability that remained statistically significant after controlling for other related covariates. In the tested mediation model, no significant direct effect of sleep efficiency on migraine disability was observed; however, small to medium-sized effects were observed among the indirect path from sleep efficiency, to sleep hygiene, to migraine disability. Taken together, these findings suggest that migraine disability may be influenced by sleep hygiene, which could predicate somewhat accessible forms of intervention to improve sleep for those with migraine headaches.