10 Tips to Prevent Headaches Naturally
Setting a routine, avoiding the news at night, taking some time to relax and take a bath or read something “mindless” before bed can set the stage for a good night’s rest. If you suffer from sleep disturbances, it may be as simple as a magnesium deficiency or more complicated such as adrenal fatigue, which requires additional adrenal support. Our multivitamin supplements fill in your mineral gaps and our adrenal products will give you the added support you need whether you are “tired” or “wired” – so be sure to check them out.
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While the optimal sleep range is 7-9 hours, it can vary by season, with more needed in the winter (our hibernation phase) and less in the summer. A typical REM cycle is 90 minutes, so new research is showing that most people sleep better for periods of time in multiples of 90 minutes (assuming you are not getting up in the middle of the night). In other words, you may find yourself better rested after sleeping 6 or 7 1⁄2 or 9 hours than 8 or some other number. Try tracking your sleep over several days or weeks and see how you feel when you awaken – you may find a certain 90-minute interval pops up as being right for you.
4. Stay Hydrated
Our bodies need water to detoxify and cleanse. Since many headaches involve less than ideal triggers that are food or environmentally based, giving our bodies all the support they need to help release these toxins will not only benefit our health overall, it may well reduce our headaches.
It can be hard to go to 8 glasses a day if you drink one or none, so the best strategy is to add one cup a day every 3-4 days and slowly increase. Slowly drinking throughout the day is always better than downing a glass all at once so keep a water bottle with you throughout the day. Think about ways that you can build a new habit onto an old one by taking a drink every time you open the refrigerator or go to the bathroom or whatever fits into your routine.
5. Exercise … and MOVE!
Regular exercise has so many proven benefits for our hearts, our muscles and for stress reduction. Most headache sufferers can benefit from exercise, but tension headache sufferers especially will really find great relief. If you are new, start slow and build up gradually. And be sure to drink lots of water!
In addition to studies that prove the benefits of exercise, numerous studies show that we need to move more throughout the day. The health risks of sitting may well be even more damaging than not exercising, as studies show that even regular exercisers are at higher health risk of health concerns if they do not have regular movement throughout the day.
Regular movement definitions vary, but most agree that if you are not up and walking around every 30-60 minutes, your health risks increase.
We have lived for thousands of years with daily movement and we are not meant to sit at a desk or a computer all day. Get up and take a walk, a stretch break and move around. In addition to proven health benefits, studies show it increases your creativity, so the problem you are trying to solve at your desk may come quickly if you step outside.
6. Detox Regularly
Headaches may be a sign that your body is struggling with toxins and trying to unburden it’s toxic load. The toxins may be food-based such as GMOs or food allergies or they may be environmental like exposure to chemicals or pesticides, mold, and/or poor air quality. Either way, your body must process and release them. If you are overburdened and you lack proper nutrition, supplementation, sleep and hydration, detoxification won’t occur. For more on this, see our articles in the Detoxification category in our Health Library.