The Migraine-Relieving Hormone Nobody Ever Talks About

This article is shared with permission from our friends at naturalhealthadvisory.com.

Melatonin benefits go beyond improving sleep; the hormone may decrease migraine frequency and intensity, too.

The crushing pain, nausea, and light sensitivity of a migraine headache can wreak havoc on the lives of migraine sufferers. For many, the only treatment options are heavy-duty pharmaceuticals with many unpleasant side effects. And those don’t even work for everyone. But research is pointing to surprising melatonin benefits that may offer new hope to migraineurs.

Melatonin, most commonly known as the sleep hormone, helps to control our circadian rhythm, the 24-hour cycle that tells our bodies when it is time to sleep.[1] Although it’s primary function is biological timekeeping, researchers have found that it can also modulate and decrease pain, possibly playing an important a role in migraine prevention.

Melatonin benefits for pain

Produced by the pineal gland, melatonin is at its lowest level during the light of day and steadily increases to a maximum level late at night.[1] Researchers noted that many people have less pain at night—just when melatonin is peaking. They looked deeper and learned that melatonin acts on the receptors for many pain-relieving molecules in the brain (eg, opioid receptors), leading to a decrease in pain sensations when melatonin levels are high. Melatonin supplements have been shown to lower pain intensity in conditions such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and migraine headaches.[2]

Decreased melatonin levels in migraine patients

Strengthening the link between melatonin and migraine, multiple studies have found that patients with migraine have significantly lower melatonin levels at night than healthy controls.[3,4] Perhaps even more interesting is that melatonin levels in migraine patients do not increase during the menstrual cycle the way that they normally do, implicating melatonin as a factor in menstrual migraine, a very common occurrence for women.[3,5]

Melatonin may prevent and treat migraine

Based on these findings, melatonin is being pursued as a possible therapeutic tool to prevent migraines. A clinical trial found that 3 mg of melatonin 30 minutes before bedtime helped to reduce the overall frequency, intensity, and duration of headaches for the subjects in the study. 25 out of the 32 participants saw a decrease in headache frequency of 50%, and 8 participants saw a complete remission of headaches. This study also found menstrual migraines to be improved as well for the female subjects.[6]

Researchers also looked at the use of agomelatin, a melatonin receptor agonist (something that acts like melatonin in the brain), to treat migraines. They found that the intensity and duration of migraine attacks decreased with use of agomelatin, and overall depression and sleep disruptions improved as well.[7] Although agomelatonin itself is not naturally occurring, these results add to the growing body of evidence of the promising melatonin benefits for migraine sufferers.

Try melatonin for yourself

Dosage

To try using melatonin as a preventative migraine treatment at home, take it 30 to 60 minutes before sleep on a daily basis. The most promising studies show a dosage of 3 mg to be effective in reduce migraine symptoms.[6] Along with helping you to fall and stay asleep, a melatonin supplement might just help relieve some of your pain and let you live more migraine-free days.

Melatonin-boosting foods

You can also increase your melatonin levels by indulging in these foods (via nutritionfacts.org):

Cherries
Orange bell peppers

Walnuts
Flaxseeds
Tomatoes

Fenugreek
Mustard seeds
Almonds

Rasberries
Goji berries

Other ways to improve your melatonin production

(via Dr. Mercola)

Avoid watching TV or using your computer in the evening, at least an hour or so before going to bed. These devices emit blue light, which tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. Normally, your brain starts secreting melatonin between 9 pm and 10 pm, and these devices emit light that may stifle that process.
Make sure you get BRIGHT sun exposure regularly. Your pineal gland produces melatonin roughly in approximation to the contrast of bright sun exposure in the day and complete darkness at night. If you are in darkness all day long, it can’t appreciate the difference and will not optimize your melatonin production.
Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. Even the slightest bit of light in your bedroom can disrupt your biological clock and your pineal gland’s melatonin production. Even the tiniest glow from your clock radio could be interfering with your sleep, so cover your clock radio up at night or get rid of it altogether. Move all electrical devices at least three feet away from your bed. You may want to cover your windows with drapes or blackout shades, or wear an eye mask when you sleep.

Install a low-wattage yellow, orange or red light bulb if you need a source of light for navigation at night. Light inthese bandwidths does not shut down melatonin production in the way that white and blue bandwidth light does. Salt lamps are handy for this purpose.
Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F. Many people keep their homes too warm (particularly their upstairs bedrooms). Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is between 60 to 68 degrees F.
Take a hot bath 90 to 120 minutes before bedtime. This increases your core body temperature, and when you get out of the bath it abruptly drops, signaling your body that you are ready to sleep.

Avoid using loud alarm clocks. Being jolted awake each morning can be very stressful. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, you might not even need an alarm.
Get some sun in the morning, if possible. Your circadian system needs bright light to reset itself. Ten to 15 minutes of morning sunlight will send a strong message to your internal clock that day has arrived, making it less likely to be confused by weaker light signals during the night. More sunlight exposure is required as you age.
Be mindful of electromagnetic fields in your bedroom. EMFs can disrupt your pineal gland and its melatonin production, and may have other negative biological effects as well. A gauss meter is required if you want to measureEMF levels in various areas of your home.

Share your experience with melatonin and migraines

Do you suffer from migraine headaches or other painful conditions? Have you tried melatonin or other natural remedies? Have you experienced other melatonin benefits? What migraine remedies have you found to be the most effective?