Adjusting the height of a work surface, pillow in bed, or sitting position may reduce the spasm that causes the headaches. Biofeedback or treatment of an underlying stressful situation may be necessary in certain situations. As many as 15 percent of the general population have recurring migraines, and well over half of the population will experience a migraine attack sometime during their lives. It is less common for true migraines to last more than 24 hours. In most people, the attacks seem to occur in batches, with several bad attacks over a week or two.
Migraines have a diurnal pattern.
They occur more often in morning than afternoon or evening, and often present on awakening. A migraine may even awaken a patient at night. This is in contrast to muscle contraction headaches that develop over the course of a day, usually in the afternoons or evenings. The patient with a migraine usually prefers to be alone in a dark quiet place and the headache is frequently relieved with a short nap. For some patients, this is an uncomfortable feeling, which they recognize to be a warning.