While some people suffer from so-called “weekend migraines,” other migraine sufferers find they have fewer attacks on days when they’re not working, new research suggests.

In a study that followed 84 female migraine patients for up to a year, Norwegian researchers found that the women were less likely to suffer migraine attacks on Sundays and holidays than on any other day.

The term “weekend migraine” stems from the fact that some people tend to suffer migraine attacks primarily on days off from work or school. However, the new findings counter the idea that the weekend migraine is a common phenomenon, the study authors report in the medical journal Cephalalgia.

On the contrary, “our study suggests that days off protect against migraine,” write Dr. Karl B. Alstadhaug and his colleagues at the University Hospital of North Norway in Bodo.

“In general, our study undermines the concept of ‘weekend migraine,’ and thus, many of the explanations given for it,” Alstadhaug told Reuters Health.

A number of explanations for weekend migraines have been offered. Sleeping late or eating differently could trigger headaches in some migraine sufferers, for instance. Another theory is that the “release” from weekday stress actually spurs migraine attacks in some people.

Some people obviously do have more migraines on Saturdays or Sundays, Alstadhaug added, but there are also many who have them mainly on Mondays or Wednesdays.

For their study, Alstadhaug and his colleagues had 84 women use diary cards to record their migraine symptoms every day for up to a year. In general, the researchers found, migraine attacks were least common on Sundays, and the women were about a third less likely to suffer a migraine on holidays than on other days, excluding Sundays.

It’s possible that freedom from workweek stress helps explain these migraine letups, according to Alstadhaug.

In general, experts do advise that migraine sufferers try to maintain a regular sleep schedule every day, since oversleeping or having a late breakfast can trigger migraines in some people. On the other hand, Alstadhaug noted, sleep deprivation can also spur migraine attacks, so a little extra sleep on a Sunday morning might do some good.

SOURCE: Cephalalgia, April 2007.