Best Mattresses & Pillows For Migraines

Some studies estimate that as many as 12% of U.S. adults have migraines and up to 4 million experience chronic migraines. If you suffer from frequent migraines, you know they’re much more than just a headache. 

In fact, they can deprive you of the restorative sleep you need by draining the energy that you need to enjoy life. For 90% of people who experience regular migraines, symptoms can prevent you from functioning normally and may cause you to miss work, family events, and can even lead to other health problems as well. 

Sleeping on the right mattress is one way you can not only reduce the frequency and duration of migraines, but choosing the best pillow for migraines  can improve every aspect of your life, give you renewed energy, stamina, and vigor. 

But, with so many choices to make, unless you are a mattress expert and understand the ingredients and specialized components that make up a mattress, it’s impossible to narrow down the options. 

In this article, we’re going to explore the subject of migraines including the symptoms and triggers. We’ll take a look at the importance of a good night’s sleep and how changing your mattress might help reduce the frequency or severity of your migraines. You’ll also see our top picks for the best mattress for migraines.

What Causes Migraines?

Often described as an intense headache, a migraine is actually a neurological condition. Migraines are characterized by severe, crushing, and often debilitating headaches and may cause additional symptoms like nausea, vomiting, difficulty speaking, sensitivity to light, and numbness or tingling. They affect people of all ages but typically begin in adolescence or early adulthood and often run in families.

How Are Headache And Back Pain Diagnosed?

When diagnosing headache and back pain, your doctor will first perform a physical exam and take your medical history. They’ll want to know things like:

• How long you’ve been experiencing migraines, intensity and location of the pain, frequency, and triggers

• If you’ve been experiencing any additional symptoms

• Your doctor may then perform some additional tests to make a diagnosis. These may include:

You’ll likely get a full assessment of your ability to perform simple tasks like standing, walking, and sitting, as well as undergoing a variety of tests and metrics such as:

• A neurological exam, which can include testing things like reflexes

• Blood tests, which can include things like a metabolic panel or complete blood count (CBC)

• Imaging tests, which can include X-rays, CT scan, or MRI scan, and even electromyography (EMG), which measures the electrical signals from your nerves and how your muscles respond

Once you’ve been properly diagnosed with migraine headaches, your provider will work with you to develop a treatment plan that’s ideal for your situation. Some examples of treatments for headache and back pain include the following:

• Getting plenty of rest and productive REM sleep every night, on a mattress that contains the materials designed to reduce pressure, properly distribute body weight, and provide enough support to allow your spine and neck to remain properly aligned as you sleep

• Apply hot or cold compresses to your head, neck, or back.

• Try over-the-counter (OTC) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain relief. Examples include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), and naproxen sodium (Aleve).

• Use prescription NSAIDs or muscle relaxants if OTC medications don’t work for pain. In rare cases, opioid medications may be administered for crushing or unbearable pain.

• Take low doses of tricyclic antidepressants, which can actually help with back or headache pain.

• Try getting cortisone injections, which can help relieve back pain. These injections can be very productive, since they can calm nerves, reduce inflammation where nerves pass through vertebrae, and reduce swelling in joints, and in muscle and connective tissue.

• Get regular massages to loosen tight muscles.

If an underlying condition is causing your headache and back pain, your provider will attempt to treat that as well. For example, if a bacterial infection is the actual underlying cause of your condition, they may prescribe antibiotics.

You may be wondering, “Can my mattress help my migraines?” Often, health care providers don’t make the connection that migraines are often associated with back pain which is aggravated by a poor quality mattress. 

In our reviews of the best mattresses for migraine below, we’ll give you several options for mattresses that can reduce pressure by properly distributing weight, improve your deep and restorative REM sleep, and possibly decrease both the frequency and level of pain you experience with migraines.

How To Prevent Migraine Headache Often Associated With Back Pain

You can do the following things to prevent potential causes of headache with back pain:

Purchase a mattress designed to properly support your neck and back by reducing pressure points, increasing circulation, and providing enough buoyant support to allow easy movement during the night. 

Find the Best Pillow for Migraines

There are many different pillows for migraine sufferers that can relieve your pain and help you sleep through the night. Low profile pillows are often the best pillows for headaches. That’s because they allow your neck to remain level and in proper alignment with your skull and spine. Check out our list of best pillows to find the right one to help your headaches.

• Try to maintain proper posture when sitting or standing.

• Take measures to avoid head or back injury. Lift heavy objects properly. Use your seatbelt in the car, and wear protective equipment while playing sports.

• Make healthy lifestyle choices. Exercise frequently, maintain a healthy weight, and avoid smoking.

• Your diet should include drinking lots of water, eating plenty of nuts, fruits, and fiber rich ingredients.

• Manage other conditions, like high blood pressure.

• Avoid infections by practicing good hygiene, including washing hands frequently and thoroughly. Avoid personal items, and avoid people who may be sick.

Migraines Can Be The End Result Of Injury, Infection, Even PMS

Migraines can be caused by many traumatic injuries, infections, and other medical conditions like pre-menstrual syndrome in women. In some cases, headache and back pain can be relieved with rest and at-home care. However, if the pain persists, is severe, or affects your ability to function, you may need intervention. Starting with your sleep hygiene, including getting the right mattress, can make a huge difference in your outcome and can even eliminate migraines completely.

Anatomy Of A Migraine Headache

A migraine typically consists of several stages that can last for days. A day or two before the migraine begins, symptoms may slowly emerge. This is known as the pro-dome stage, in which you may notice subtle warnings of an impending migraine – changes in mood, food cravings, neck stiffness, and frequent yawning. 

Also known as “pre-headache” or premonitory phase, prodrome essentially marks the beginning of a migraine attack. This phase can last several hours or may even occur over several days. Most people with migraine will experience prodrome, but not necessarily before every migraine attack.

During prodrome phase, many sufferers experience an aura characterized by visual phenomena, vision loss, or uncontrollable jerking movements before or during a migraine.

A migraine attack usually lasts from 4 to 72 hours, if not treated. During a migraine, you can experience throbbing or pulsing pain, typically both sides of the head, rather than isolated to one side. Nausea and vomiting may occur, and you can become more sensitive to light, sound, even touch or smell. Following the migraine, a period called the post-drome stage occurs,  in which you emptied, completely exhausted, and even confused for up to a day.

The exact cause of migraines is poorly understood, though researchers suggest genetics and environmental factors may have a role in the physiology of the disease.  Though the underlying cause of migraines is unknown, there are several common triggers:

Common Triggers For Migraines Include The Following:

• Stress

• Strong sensory stimuli

• Changes in sleep

• Intense physical exertion

• Changes in weather

• Certain foods or food additives

• Hormonal changes in females 

The best way to prevent or at least minimize the effects of migraines is to know your triggers and to avoid them as much as possible. Stay hydrated, avoid skipping meals, and get plenty of sleep on a quality mattress that provides appropriate spine and neck support. Keeping the pressure off of your neck, back, and the vertebrae along your spine can reduct nerve pressure and inflammation.

If you find yourself waking up with frequent migraines, your mattress and pillow could easily be a strong trigger mechanism. The wrong mattress can affect the quality of your sleep which could increase your risk for developing a migraine. Poor spine alignment could also contribute to headaches.

How Changing Your Mattress Can Make A Huge Difference In Managing Your Migraines

There is no miracle migraine-curing mattress out there, but it’s a very real possibility that your mattress has something to do with the frequency with which you experience migraines. And, trying to buy the best mattress for migraines in general can be a total nightmare. 

Because I’ve been a mattress designer for over 25 years, and in fact I have custom designed mattresses specifically made for my own customers who suffer from migraines, I can distill down the list for you from over 200 online mattress retailers, to my handful of curated dealers below, who build some of the most popular mattresses sold online- specifically targeted at people with back and neck issues.

Most significantly, a poorly made or improperly designed mattress prevents your body from getting the support it needs which affects the quality of your sleep. Most mattresses are made using inferior components, like low density foam layers that easily collapse or bottom out, causing curvature at the neck and spine, lower back, and even joints in your legs and arms. 

In my experience many people who suffer from migraines are also hot sleepers, especially post-menopausal women, and in today’s world, there is no need to suffer with hot flashes, night sweats, or simply tossing and turning because your mattress is cooking you in bed.

There are many cooling fabrics, specialized gel foams, and pocketed coil systems that remove heat away from your body and ventilate your mattress, keeping it cool and comfy all night. 

When you don’t sleep well, your body doesn’t function efficiently, and if you are not well rested, you may be more likely to experience a migraine. Also, if your mattress is fairly new, it could have something to do with the materials in the mattress, too, including chemical smells or fragrances, which can often trigger migraines. 

The mattresses I have chosen on this page are all made using Certi-Pur® certified foams, that is, layers of foam and textiles made using low VOC components, with no fragrances or chemical odors.

If you find yourself waking up with headaches, it could be caused by strained neck muscles. If your mattress isn’t supporting your spine, sleeping in an awkward position could make your head throb and trigger a migraine to begin.

What Materials Should You Avoid When Choosing A Mattress To Reduce Migraines?

You spend about a third of your life sleeping, so it’s easy to understand how the quality of your mattress affects your health. What you may not realize, however, is that the materials from which your mattress is made are just as important to consider as the construction and firmness of the mattress itself.

Memory foam is one of the most popular materials for modern mattresses – these mattresses receive high customer ratings for comfort and durability. This material conforms to the body, relieving pressure without compromising support. The trouble is, the materials from which memory foam is made can be quite dangerous, depending on the quality.

The primary material used to make memory foam is polyurethane. Most memory foams contain other chemicals as well that increase the viscosity and density. Prolonged exposure to some of these chemicals has been linked to symptoms including headaches and respiratory issues.

All foams, both natural and synthetic, contain chemical ingredients but some mattress companies adhere to strict standards to ensure the materials they use are made without volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, formaldehyde, CFCs, and other harmful chemicals. If you’re shopping for a memory foam mattress, choose one that carries a CertiPUR-US® certification. Oeko-Tex Standards set limits for harmful chemicals as well and mattresses that contain latex should meet the Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS). 

How To Choose The Best Mattress For Migraines

When it comes to choosing a mattress, the primary concern for migraine sufferers is support. Research shows that interrupted sleep can trigger a migraine, though the exact connection isn’t fully understood. Quality sleep requires both comfort and support, so look for a mattress that suits your preferences for firmness and construction but that also supports proper spine alignment.

If you suffer from migraines, here are some things to look for in a mattress if you are shopping online: 

Materials: Modern mattresses incorporate a variety of materials like memory foam, latex, gel foam, and coils – choose a mattress that feels comfortable and supportive to you. I have narrowed down the mattress options on this page to include mattresses made with cleaner memory /gel foam, natural latex, and individual pocketed oil systems only, along with natural fibers, like bamboo, cashmere, organic cotton, and wool textiles in the outer cover or on the top section of the mattresses in my list.

Support: Proper support based on your body weight and sleeping style are essential, so make sure your new mattress has a strong base layer.

Pressure Relief:  Also known as ‘comfort,’ pressure relief comes from softer materials in the upper layers of the mattress that conform to your curves to prevent pressure points.

Motion Isolation: If you sleep with a partner, motion transfer may be a key concern – memory foam tends to be a good option or individually encased springs rather than a continuous coil.

Firmness:  A little sink is ideal, because it’s good for comfort and pressure relief, but you need to find a firmness level that supports proper spine alignment based on your body weight and sleep position.

mattresses designed to reduce migraines and shut down triggers