Is the cure for migraine misery simply some melatonin tablets trends now
Sleep is the main driver of migraine misery for millions, scientists suggest.
Around 35million Americans and 6million Britons suffer from migraines, yet doctors have not been able to pinpoint why so many struggle with the chronic head pain.
Now Australian researchers have found the majority of people who suffer frequent headaches have lower levels of melatonin — the hormone associated with sleep.
They believe the brain's hypothalamus, which is responsible for regulating the body's internal clock, could be at the center of migraine and cluster headaches.
They said cheap melatonin supplements may be effective treatment for migraine sufferers, who currently have few available options.
Australian researchers found that migraines and cluster headaches could be a result of a person's circadian rhythm, and using devices to change the cycle may be able to prevent them (file photo)
The hypothalamus (highlighted) lies deep in the brain and is responsible for communicating many signals from the rest of the body to the brain. This includes the internal clock that causes a person to be tired each night
'The data suggest that both of these headache disorders are highly circadian at multiple levels, especially cluster headache,' Dr Mark Joseph Burish, a researcher from the University of Texas, said.
'This reinforces the importance of the hypothalamus—the area of the brain that houses the primary biological clock—and its role in cluster headache and migraine. It also raises the question of the genetics of triggers such as sleep changes that are known triggers for migraine and are cues for the body's circadian rhythm.'
The hypothalamus lies deep in the brain and is responsible for communication between the vital organ and the rest of the nervous system
It controls many bodily feelings, such as being tired, hungry, thirsty or wanting sex. This includes the circadian rhythm.
On average, Americans will usually go to bed around 11:30 pm and wake up around 7 am, and this is what the body is typically attuned to.
Researchers believe that since the headaches seem to be tied to time and melatonin levels, the circadian
