Changes in Daily Hassles, Mood, and Sleep in the 2 Days before a Migraine Headache

OBJECTIVE: The determination of the changes in the incidence and stressfulness of daily hassles as well as in the mood states: alert, tense, irritable, annoyed, depressed, and tired and in the quality of sleep in the 2 days before a migraine headache. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Private headache practice. PATIENTS: Twenty female migraine patients. INTERVENTIONS: Diary four times per day for 10 consecutive weeks with the variables quantified through the use of 100-mm visual analogue scales. RESULTS: The incidence and stressfulness of daily hassles as well as the mood states: tense, irritable, annoyed, depressed, and tired were significantly increased in the 2 days before a migraine headache in comparison to control days. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm previous studies that daily hassles are increased in the days before a migraine headache. They also show that the increase in daily hassles is associated with mood changes, particularly consisting of tension and depression.