The human brain largely still remains a mystery to science, and common brain-related maladies such as migraine headaches are not fully understood. However, research has pinpointed several suspected causes of migraine headaches, and they include both environmental and genetic triggers. Scientists currently believe that migraine headaches emanate from changes in the trigeminal nerve which serves as a major pathway to the brain. It is believed that these changes are tied to a drop in the seratonin level — seratonin being the chemical which regulates the nervous system’s pain indicators. Research has shown that a variety of conditions or events can start this process in motion reducing seratonin thus impacting the trigeminal nerve resulting in a migraine headache. These headaches can entail severe pain, loss of sleep and consequent poor work performance along with dysfunction within your personal life.

Changes in hormone levels have been shown to be one of the causes of migraine headaches. Hormonal changes are almost always associated with females, and they can ensue during menstrual periods, pregnancy or menopause. In some instances, oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy can serve to exacerbate migraine headaches. For some, foods and/or beverages can be the root causes of migraine headaches. Alcoholic beverages, especially red wine, have been correlated to the onset of migraines. Foods which have been shown to be causes of migraine headaches include cheeses (especially aged ones), caffeine, aspartame and chocolate. A major offender when it comes to foods associated with migraines is monosodium glutamate (MSG) which is commonly found in many Chinese restaurant dishes.

Certain outside stimulus are listed within the causes of migraine headaches. These can be sensory stimuli such as bright or flashing lights. Loud or cacophonous noise can also trigger a migraine — as many sufferers are well aware. Mental stimulus including stress and anxiety are also proven causes of migraine headaches. Weather changes can also entail both sensory and physical stimuli capable of causing a migraine. Intense physical exertion can also trigger a migraine — this includes exertion within the realm of sexual activity. In many instances, a combination of these causes of migraine headaches team up in order to create the perfect storm triggering the most painful of episodes.

Everyone’s physiological and environmental circumstances are unique, and it often devolves to the individual to notice which stimuli result in their migraine headaches. It is imperative to immediately take notice of migraine headaches symptoms and seek to identify which food and/or outside stimuli most immediately preceded it. This can help you narrow down your personal causes of migraine headaches and adapt your habits to help prevent or minimize their frequency and intensity.

The statement that you need eight hours of sleep per night is thrown about as fact. The problem is that it is only  a hypothesis. Scientists are only guessing about the eight hours. The amount of sleep you need is based on your age and  on how healthy you are. Every person needs as adequate amount of sleep in order to function correctly. Proper sleep allows us to be alert, perform to our highest abilities and keep us at our optimum health. So eight hours is the amount of sleep needed by the average person, meaning that some people need less than 6 hours while some need more than 9 hours. Thus an average of 8 hours of sleep at night.

Newborns sleep 14-16 hours per day. They need this amount of sleep because of the amount of growing they are doing.  Babies around the age of 3-6 months sleep 10-14 hours sleep. Again, because of the exorbitant amount of growing that is going on. Children and teens need 10-14 hours sleep. This amount of sleep is normally considered laziness in teenagers. They always want to take a nap or are falling asleep in class. Due to the hormonal changes and the internal changes going on inside a teenager they need a great deal more sleep than even they realize. The average adult needs approximately 6-8 hours of sleep per night. Again this depends upon a person’s health. Regular exercise during the day as well as a well balanced diet actually requires less sleep because a better quality of sleep is achieved. Pregnant women need 3 additional hours of sleep a day. It is said that a pregnant woman’s body is doing the job of a rock climber while she is at rest. Thus the need for at least 3 extra hours of sleep per day.

It’s about the quality of the sleep you get, not just the hours. In order to get the most out of a good night’s sleep you should understand the whole system. Stage one is when you’re drowsy. You are relaxed but still somewhat aware of the world around you. This lasts for approximately 10-15 minutes. Step 2 is light sleep. Your temperature starts to decline, your movements tend to stop, your heart rate reduces as your body slows for rest. Step 3 is deep sleep. You are unaware of the world around you. You’re groggy and completely disoriented. Deep sleep is when hormone cells begin to regenerate. Scientists have discovered that those who exercise stay in this stage 2-3 times as long as those that don’t exercise. Stage 5 is REM sleep. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. This is the last 5-6 hours of an 8 hour sleep. How much sleep you get in this stage depends upon how much sleep you get per night.

While you are sleeping the body is repairing itself and rebuilding parts that need assistance.  You know that you have achieved the right amount and the right quality of sleep when you wake feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day. If you have trouble focusing during the day or find yourself nodding off then perhaps you need more sleep.

Find out how much sleep you need by trying out a sleep reduction experiment. The first night get the least amount of sleep you believe you can function on. Don’t be crazy and not sleep at all. Start out at 5-6 hours sleep. Take note of how you feel in the morning. Are you dragging or did you bounce out of bed? Now did you need a nap halfway through the day? Then  try adding one hour of sleep to the amount you slept the night before. Repeat this exercise until you not only bounce out of bed, you don’t feel sleepy during the day anymore. If you’re getting the right amount of sleep, going to bed at the same time every night, as well as getting up at the same time every day, then you may soon find yourself throwing out that alarm clock because you have optimized your body’s natural alarm clock.