Sarah Regan
Namely, 71% of people who experienced cluster headaches had circadian patterns to their headaches, with attacks peaking in the late evening to early hours of the morning, and more attacks during spring and fall. For migraines, 50% of people showed a circadian pattern to their attacks, with the time of day ranging a bit wider, from late morning to early evening.
In terms of hormonal patterns, those with cluster headaches had higher cortisol levels and lower melatonin levels than those without cluster headaches, and those dealing with migraines had lower levels of melatonin in their urine than people without migraines, as well as lower melatonin levels during a migraine attack.
As study author Mark Joseph Burish, M.D., Ph.D. explains in a news release, “The data suggest that both of these headache disorders are highly circadian at multiple levels, especially cluster headache,” adding that these findings reinforce the importance of our circadian rhythm and its role in cluster headaches and migraines.
“These results raise the potential for using circadian-based treatments for headache disorders. This could include both treatments based on the circadian rhythm—such as taking medications at certain times of the day—and treatments that cause circadian changes, which certain medications can do,” Burish adds.