Migraines and Poor Quality Sleep. Is there a connection?

Migraines and Poor Quality Sleep. Is there a connection?

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Welcome to the More Than Teeth Podcast. I’m Dr. Michael Bennett, your host, and today, I want to dive into one of the most stubborn, painful, and emotionally draining conditions many people deal with: migraines. While I’ve never personally suffered from one, I’ve worked with countless patients whose lives have been upended by chronic migraines. These patients have often exhausted every medical avenue—yet continue to suffer. What if sleep could be the missing link?

This podcast serves as a public health message. If you're someone who suffers from chronic pain, fatigue, or unrelenting health conditions and haven’t found answers—this is for you. I believe deeply in the body’s innate power to heal itself, and the pathway to that healing begins with proper sleep. If you’re not sleeping well, your body cannot recover, no matter how nutritious your diet is, how many surgeries you’ve undergone, or how many medications you take.

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The Mouth’s Role in Sleep—and Systemic Health

As a board-certified dentist specializing in cranial pain and sleep disorders, I don’t just view the mouth as a place for teeth—I see it as a gateway to breathing, airway health, and overall well-being. Your mouth sits in front of your air pipes, below your nose, and if those passages are too small or dysfunctional, your sleep—and by extension your health—suffers.

This is why I refer to myself as a kind of "physician of the mouth". I’m not replacing your doctor. But if we look at the body holistically—especially through the lens of airway function and sleep—we can unlock real solutions for complex health issues.

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Introducing the BIB-DMD Model

Previously, I introduced the BIB-MD model, but today I want to upgrade it to BIB-DMD. This acronym helps us assess and optimize the body’s healing during sleep:

• B – Breathing: You must breathe well, especially through the nose.
  
  
• I – Inflammation: It’s necessary for healing, but chronic inflammation leads to disease.
  
  
• B – Balance: Structural alignment—shoulders, hips, and head positioning—is crucial.
  
  
• D – Decompression: Joint strain must be relieved, especially in the jaw, neck, and back.
  
  
• M – Movement Disorder: Involuntary movements during sleep (tossing, clenching, etc.) signal stress.
  
  
• D – Dysfunction (Medication/Toxins): Excess drugs or poor food habits can impair recovery.
  
  

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Understanding Migraines: A Vascular-Neurological Condition

Migraines are vascular headaches likely triggered by blood vessel dilation. That dilation can stretch tiny ligaments inside the skull, triggering pain due to irritated nerve endings.

Common migraine characteristics:

• One-sided pain (often)
  
  
• Lasts longer than 4 hours
  
  
• Nausea or vomiting
  
  
• Light or sound sensitivity
  
  
• Abnormal brain activity
  
  

The key nerve here is the trigeminal nerve, which controls both jaw and brain blood flow. If this nerve is irritated (from inflammation or structural imbalance), it can easily trigger migraines.

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The Hormonal and Emotional Dimensions of Migraines

Women are more prone to migraines—up to three times more than men—due in part to estrogen’s pain-enhancing effect, while testosterone reduces pain. Postmenopausal women often report migraine relief as testosterone naturally rises.

Add in anxiety, trauma, or emotional stress, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Trauma or PTSD doesn’t cause migraines—but it’s like pouring gasoline on a fire that’s already smoldering.

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Migraine Triggers and Lifestyle Contributors

Triggers include:

• Caffeine withdrawal
  
  
• Alcohol
  
  
• Sleep schedule disruptions
  
  
• MSG, nitrates, peanuts, dairy, and processed foods
  
  
• Physical injuries or dental work
  
  

These contribute to what I call a "migraine threshold". Everyone has one. Some hover below it most of their lives. But with added stress or inflammation, that threshold is breached, and migraines start.

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A Real Patient Case: Six Years of Daily Migraines

Let me introduce you to a patient in her early 50s who suffered from daily migraines for the last six years. She came to my office after a car accident worsened her symptoms—migraines that were weekly became daily. She also had:

• Clicking, painful jaw joints
  
  
• Worn and broken teeth
  
  
• Extreme fatigue
  
  
• Dizziness
  
  
• Jaw pain, radiating neck pain
  
  
• Restroom visits 7–8 times per night
  
  
• Fragmented, unrestorative sleep
  
  

Despite seeing neurologists, taking Robaxin, and trying everything from PT to injections, nothing helped. Let’s run through her case using the BIB-DMD framework.

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Step-by-Step Breakdown Using BIB-DMD

1. Breathing

• Crowded teeth indicated a small mouth and reduced airway space.
  
  
• Postnasal drip, phlegm, and throat clearing hinted at allergies and nasal congestion.
  
  
• Her nostrils were visibly narrow.
  
  
• She had signs of sleep-disordered breathing, waking up gasping or choking.
  
  

2. Inflammation

• Tenderness in over 40 anatomical areas of her head, neck, and jaw.
  
  
• Cold hands and feet (sign of blood shunting).
  
  
• Medication-related inflammation: Robaxin has known side effects (drowsiness, insomnia, headaches).
  
  
• Digestive inflammation: she had multiple food sensitivities (grains, dairy, eggs).
  
  

3. Balance

• Tilted shoulders, rotated hips, and a forward-head posture showed misalignment.
  
  
• These postural issues put strain on the spine and jaw, which fed back into the trigeminal nerve and intensified her pain.
  
  

4. Decompression

• Her jaw joints were dislocating (a common cause of chronic pain).
  
  
• Imbalanced joints = reflex clenching and grinding, often reaching 400 psi.
  
  

5. Movement Disorders

• Tossing, turning, clenching.
  
  
• Poor sleep quality and jaw reflexes were linked to her migraines.
  
  

6. Dysfunction (Medication, Psychological Stress)

• She had past trauma. Emotional memory can spike cortisol and adrenaline, worsening sleep quality and lowering healing potential.
  
  
• Her diet needed adjustments, and hydration was lacking.
  
  

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The Multi-Faceted Treatment Plan

I used a comprehensive, integrative approach:

1. Sleep Test: She tested positive for obstructive sleep apnea and low oxygen (hypoxemia).
   
   
2. Oral Appliances: Customized devices supported her airway and reduced jaw strain.
   
   
3. Nasal Clearing: Buteyko breathing, nasal sprays, and saline rinses helped her nasal airflow.
   
   
4. Hydration + Diet: Encouraged whole foods and proper water intake (half body weight in ounces).
   
   
5. Alignment Work: PT and chiropractic care to correct posture.
   
   
6. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Helped reframe insomnia, reduce hyperarousal, and emotionally heal.
   
   
7. Mindfulness: Forgiveness exercises to reduce the biochemical stress burden.
   
   
8. Migraine-Specific Exercises: Gentle jaw stretches to reduce clenching.
   
   

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Results: From Daily Migraines to Functional Living

After months of consistent, focused care:

• Migraines became rare.
  
  
• Her jaw pain resolved.
  
  
• She returned to her master’s degree program.
  
  
• Her energy, concentration, and ability to live fully all improved.
  
  

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Final Thoughts: You Can Heal with Sleep as Your Foundation

Migraines are complex. They aren’t just “in your head.” They’re rooted in airway function, muscle tension, structural imbalance, and biochemical stress. The BIB-DMD model has become my go-to for analyzing cases like this, and time and again, it’s worked.

If you’re in pain, don’t give up. There is hope. The body knows how to heal—but only when we stop interfering and give it what it needs: clean air, deep rest, alignment, hydration, emotional healing, and stillness.

Thanks for joining me today. More case studies and actionable strategies to come in future episodes.

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