A LARGE-SCALE study of more than 300,000 adults has found that good sleep quality significantly reduces the risk of developing migraines, and that part of this protective effect may be explained by healthier cholesterol levels.
The research carried out by scientists from China analysed data from 309,475 participants in the UK Biobank who were free of headaches at the start of the study. Over a median follow-up period of 13.6 years, 3,891 people (1.3%) developed migraines.
The researchers evaluated participants’ sleep quality using five measures: chronotype (morning or evening preference), sleep duration, insomnia symptoms, snoring, and excessive daytime sleepiness. These factors were combined into a “sleep score,” with higher scores indicating better sleep quality.
After adjusting for a wide range of lifestyle and health factors, including age, sex, body mass index, and socioeconomic status, the team found that each one-point increase in sleep score corresponded to a 12% lower risk of developing migraines (hazard ratio 0.88; 95% confidence interval 0.85–0.90). In particular, individuals who slept adequate hours, reported no insomnia, and did not experience excessive daytime sleepiness had the lowest migraine risk.
The Role of Cholesterol and Metabolism in Migraine Prevention
To explore potential biological mechanisms, the researchers performed mediation analyses focusing on metabolic health indicators. They discovered that dyslipidemia, abnormal cholesterol or lipid levels in the blood, partially explained the link between sleep quality and migraine risk, accounting for about 3.3% of the association. This suggests that poor sleep may disrupt lipid metabolism, which in turn contributes to migraine development.
The findings strengthen growing evidence that sleep and metabolic health play intertwined roles in neurological conditions. The authors note that improving sleep habits could be a simple, non-pharmacological strategy to help prevent migraines, which affect an estimated one billion people worldwide.
“Maintaining good sleep hygiene may not only improve general well-being but also lower the risk of developing migraines,” the study concludes. Future research should explore whether targeted interventions to improve sleep or manage lipid levels can further reduce migraine risk.
Reference
Wu JH et al. Association of sleep and dyslipidemia with migraine incidence in a cohort of 309,475 participants. Sci Rep. 2025;15:39413.
