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Inside the Prodome Phase of Migraines
Learn about the prodrome phase of migraines, including early symptoms, brain changes, neurotransmitters, and how it differs from aura and headache stages.
For many people with migraine, the attack does not begin with head pain. Hours or even days before a migraine reaches its most intense stage, the brain may already be sending warning signals. This early stage is known as the prodrome phase, sometimes called the "pre-headache" phase. Recognizing these subtle changes can help people better understand their migraine patterns, identify triggers, and potentially take action earlier in the attack cycle.
Migraine is a complex neurological condition that affects millions of people and can interfere with work, sleep, relationships, and daily functioning. Research increasingly shows that migraines involve changes throughout the brain and nervous system, not just blood vessels or plain pathways. Understanding the prodrome phase offers insight into how migraine attacks develop and why symptoms can extend far beyond head pain.
What is the prodrome phase of a migraine?
The prodrome phase is the earliest stage of a migraine attack. It can begin anywhere from several hours to two days before headache pain starts. During this phase, people may notice physical, emotional, sensory, or cognitive symptoms that signal an approaching migraine.
Not everyone experiences prodrome symptoms, and the symptoms themselves can vary significantly from one person to another. Some people consistently notice the same warning signs before every migraine, while others experience different symptoms depending on the attack.
The prodrome phase is considered part of the migraine process itself rather than a separate event. The distinction matters because many symptoms people assume are triggers may actually be early manifestations of the migraine already beginning. For example, craving chocolate or feeling unusually fatigued before a migraine may not cause the attack at all. Instead, these experiences may reflect neurological changes already underway in the brain. According to the American Migraine Foundation, recognizing prodrome symptoms may help individuals identify patterns and work with healthcare providers on earlier intervention strategies.
Common symptoms during the prodrome phase
Prodrome symptoms can affect multiple body systems. Some are subtle enough to overlook at first, especially before a person realizes they are connected to migraine activity.
Common prodrome symptoms include:
- Fatigue or unusual sleepiness
- Mood changes, including irritability, anxiety, or depression
- Difficulty concentrating
- Neck stiffness
- Food cravings
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination
- Yawning repeatedly
- Sensitivity to light, sound, or smells
- Gastrointestinal changes such as nausea or constipation
Yawning is one of the more distinctive prodrome symptoms and is believed to involve dopamine-related signaling changes in the brain. Similarly, changes in appetite or cravings may be linked to hypothalamic activity, which helps regulate hunger, sleep, hormones, and circadian rhythms.
Some people describe the prodrome phase as feeling "off" or mentally foggy before the pain begins. Others may feel unusually energetic or restless. Since symptoms vary so widely, migraine tracking can be useful for identifying recurring early warning signs.
Digital health platforms and migraine tracking tools have increasingly focused on helping users identify these patterns over time. Programs like Evidation's migraine resources explore how wearable data and symptom tracking may help researchers better understand migraine progression and real-world patient experiences.
Brain regions involved in the prodrome phase
Researchers now believe the prodrome phase reflects measurable neurological activity occurring before headache pain develops. Several brain regions appear to play important roles during this early stage.
One of the most studied regions is the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus helps regulate many automatic body functions, including sleep cycles, thirst, appetite, body temperature, hormone release, and stress responses. Many common prodrome symptoms align closely with these functions.
Brain imaging studies have shown hypothalamic activation during the earliest stages of migraine attacks, even before pain occurs. This finding supports the idea that migraine is a disorder involving broader brain network dysfunction rather than simple pain sensitivity.
Other brain regions implicated in the prodrome phase include:
- The brainstem
- Limbic system structures involved in emotion
- Cortical sensory processing regions
- Pain-modulating neural networks
Researchers sometimes refer to these interconnected systems as part of a "migraine generator network." These networks may help explain why migraines can affect mood, digestion, energy levels, sensory processing, and cognition long before headache pain begins.
Neurotransmitters and Signaling Changes
Migraine attacks involve changes in neurotransmitters and signaling pathways throughout the nervous system. Several chemicals appear to be particularly important during the prodrome phase.
Dopamine
Dopamine may contribute to symptoms such as yawning, nausea, mood shifts, and food cravings. People with migraine may have heightened dopamine sensitivity during attacks, which could explain why some symptoms appear before pain starts.
Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)
CGRP is heavily involved in migraine pathways and inflammation around nerves. Elevated CGRP activity has become a major focus of migraine treatment research, including newer preventive medications targeting CGRP signaling.
Serotonin
Serotonin fluctuations are also associated with migraine development. Changes in serotonin levels may influence mood, pain regulation, and blood vessel function throughout the migraine cycle.
Hypothalamic signaling
Since the hypothalamus regulates hormone balance, sleep, appetite, and circadian rhythms, disruptions in hypothalamic signaling may help explain why changes in sleep patterns, stress, dehydration, and hormonal fluctuations can influence migraine activity.
Research continues to investigate how these systems interact across the entire migraine timeline. Current evidence suggests migraine attacks likely result from dynamic changes across multiple interconnected brain networks rather than a single isolated cause.
How the prodrome phase differs from aura and headache phases
Migraine attacks are often described in stages, although not everyone experiences every stage. The prodrome phase occurs before the headache phase and may begin up to 48 hours earlier. Symptoms are often generalized and can involve mood, cognition, appetite, energy, or autonomic body functions.
The aura phase is different. Aura involves temporary neurological disturbances that usually occur shortly before headache pain or during the headache itself. Aura symptoms are often visual but can also affect speech, sensation, or movement.
Common aura symptoms include:
- Flashing lights
- Blind spots
- Zigzag visual patterns
- Tingling sensations
- Difficulty speaking
Not all people with migraine experience aura. In fact, migraine without aura is more common.
The headache phase is the stage most people think of when they hear the word "migraine." Symptoms may include:
- Moderate to severe head pain
- Throbbing or pulsing pain
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Worsening pain with movement
After the headache subsides, some individuals experience a postdrome phase, sometimes called a "migraine hangover," which can include fatigue, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Different people experience migraines differently, and you may find that stages overlap throughout the migraine cycle.
Why prodrome symptoms vary between individuals
Migraine is highly individualized. Genetics, hormone levels, nervous system sensitivity, environmental factors, and coexisting health conditions may all influence how migraine attacks develop. Some people consistently experience fatigue and neck pain during prodrome, while others mainly notice emotional or sensory changes. Certain individuals may not recognize prodrome symptoms at all until they begin tracking their migraines more carefully.
Hormonal influences can also shape migraine patterns. Migraine prevalence is significantly higher in women, and hormonal fluctuations related to menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause can affect symptom timing and intensity. Environmental and lifestyle factors may further interact with neurological vulnerability. Stress, dehydration, disrupted sleep, skipped meals, weather changes, and sensory overstimulation are commonly reported migraine triggers. However, distinguishing true triggers from early prodrome symptoms can sometimes be difficult. For example, a person may believe bright lights caused their migraine when increased light sensitivity had actually already begun as part of the prodrome phase.
Recognizing prodrome symptoms may support earlier intervention
Identifying prodrome symptoms can help some individuals prepare for a migraine attack or discuss earlier treatment strategies with a healthcare provider.
For example, recognizing early signs may allow someone to:
- Reduce sensory stimulation
- Prioritize hydration and rest
- Avoid escalating stress
- Adjust schedules if possible
- Take prescribed medications earlier in the migraine process
Some evidence suggests earlier intervention may improve treatment effectiveness for certain people, particularly when medications are taken before migraine pain fully intensifies. Tracking apps, wearable devices, and digital symptom journals are also becoming more common in migraine management.
Understanding the full migraine timeline
The prodrome phase highlights how migraine attacks often begin long before head pain develops. Changes in mood, energy, appetite, concentration, and sensory processing may all reflect early neurological activity occurring within complex brain networks.
As migraine research advances, scientists continue to uncover how regions like the hypothalamus, neurotransmitter systems, and interconnected neural pathways contribute to the progression of migraine attacks. Understanding these stages may help improve awareness, diagnosis, symptom tracking, and future treatment approaches.
For many people, living with migraine, recognizing the prodrome phase is not just about predicting pain. It is about understanding that migraine is a whole-brain neurological condition with effects that extend far beyond the headache itself.
Using Evidation to track your health data
At Evidation, we're here to help you feel your best. We use the health data you're already tracking to offer content-based, personalized insights that can help you move your health forward. Click here to learn more and download the Evidation app today.
Why Evidation Believes Everyone Can Participate in Better Health Outcomes
Evidation Members share their experiences and how they use Evidation to improve health outcomes
At Evidation, we’re passionate about helping everyone reach their individual health goals. That could be in the form of getting paid for doing health-related activities as a little extra motivation, or by providing you with easy ways to understand your personal health. We also help to connect you with ways to contribute to cutting-edge research, where you can help to improve health for everyone. We wanted to share 5 of Achievement’s values that are important in our mission of helping everyone to participate in better health outcomes.
We meet you where you’re at
We understand that everyone’s health goals and needs are not the same; that’s why we individualize your experience based on what you tell us is relevant to you. You can also choose to earn points for everything from step tracking, sleep tracking, continuous glucose monitoring, meditation and more. We are here to support your health goals, regardless of where you’re at in your personal health journey, like Sarai (a long time Achiever) explains:
“I have Fibromyalgia and chronic Myositis …. Life can become difficult and overbearing … Many, like me, are bound to a wheelchair 50% or more of the time. Can you imagine how unmotivated you can feel to get out of bed, let alone workout!? But as it stands, the best treatment for this condition, is to KEEP MOVING. Achievement provides that imaginary friend. One who will not give you unwanted advice, or invite you to things you cannot go to. It provides that gentle motivation, for you to set your own goals. Not that of your doctor, friend, or family member. But YOURS. You know your body best …. With Achievement I can keep track of my progress…” -Sarai H.
When you get started with Evidation, we encourage you to take the time to fill out your Health Survey so that we can provide you with study invitations, and other opportunities that are relevant to you.
You are in full control of your data
Evidation provides a place for you to view your data from your connected apps in one place. By centralizing this information, we can help you to better understand your health and ultimately achieve your health goals.
It’s entirely up to you to choose what you want to share and earn points for on Evidation. Whether you’re interested in steps, exercise, sleep, nutrition, meditation or something else, you can choose what activities will be shared.
This member shares how they’ve used multiple apps on Evidation to track their health:
“I’ve been a member of Evidation for a while and it has motivated me to take control of my health by syncing all of my apps into one place and then rewarding me for it. This has been vital for me recently because my health has taken a toll lately and I’ve needed to really step up my game and take control of what I can in my personal health, Evidation has made that simple.” — Isis F.
You can access and download all of your Evidation data in one place at any time, giving you more insight into your health. You can change your mind about what activities you want to track at any time. We provide you with control over what data you share with us and we do not sell your data to third parties without your clear consent. Your health data is yours.
We are transparent
We believe that it is important to always be clear and transparent with our members about how their data is used. We may use your anonymized data for our own internal research to advance the forefront of healthcare and share back insightful health trends and tips, such as whether or not air quality can affect activity patterns or how the World Series affected sleep patterns. Tristan shares why he chooses to share his data with Evidation:
“…Evidation is exciting for me as I get to send data to [them] every single day. Data gathering is fulfilling for me, especially knowing it’ll be put to good use, so that inspires me to log my activities all the time” — Tristan R.
We also give you the choice to participate in research projects related to your health interests, goals or conditions. The specific information you will be asked to share will be disclosed in the consent and/or disclosures for that particular project (each project may be different). Evidation Members have had the opportunity to participate in groundbreaking research around diabetes, mental health, and more.
We provide you the opportunity to give back to the causes you care about
It’s great to earn personal rewards for all of your health actions; however, many members also choose to use their rewards for a good cause. That’s why Evidation also provides the opportunity to donate your points to a health charity of your choice through Benevity when you reach 10,000 points. The points you earn for taking healthy actions can also go back to organizations that are working towards creating a healthier world. Elizabeth shares why she decided to donate her points:
“Evidation motivates me to exercise more since it adds points each time. It also motivates me to join support apps for my type 1 diabetes and read more research articles. When I hit 10,000 points I donated the $10 to JDRF International [Type 1 diabetes researching funding and advocacy] to help support the continuation of research to find a cure.” — Elizabeth P.
Your actions can impact many
At the individual level, we can take actions to control our health, but we believe that we can achieve and learn even more as a community. We’ve sent out offers to members with similar health conditions, allowing them to ask relevant questions they would like answered about health topics that matter to them, such as anxiety or diabetes.
You’ll also have the opportunity to qualify for and participate in cutting-edge research studies related to various conditions, for which you can earn additional points or money, and together we can contribute to and advance research that can help improve health for everyone. This Evidation Member shares how her participation in a study has helped in improving her health outcomes:
“I have been using Evidation for a few years now. I participated in the 1yr Cognitive Health Study that really helped me to know how to improve my cognitive health and protect my brain from damage due to diet and environment. It motivated me to start an exercise class for seniors … As of today we have 11 in the class…” — Janet A.
We’ve worked with a variety of research partners to conduct groundbreaking research and studies where members could participate and earn. Evidation members who participated in studies and research helped to advance research in conditions ranging from like asthma, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, mental health, migraines, rheumatoid arthritis and more. The contributions made to these studies could impact millions in the future, and help to bring new understanding about these conditions. We think Jenny, a long time Evidation Member, sums it up best:
“…[Evidation] makes me feel good knowing that maybe one day my tracking could maybe help someone. I have depression and anxiety. If that helps even one person with this data collection I stand by it 100%.” — Jenny B.
Why you might be stuck in your health goals
We’ve all been there — the “new year, new me” mindset where the first few months of the year we quickly shift our habits in order to become a better version of ourselves. However, right as the ball gets rolling, the progress suddenly stops.
We’ve all been there — the “new year, new me” mindset where the first few months of the year we quickly shift our habits in order to become a better version of ourselves. However, right as the ball gets rolling, the progress suddenly stops. Why am I not running as far? Why am I not losing any more weight? What am I doing wrong? Here are 5 key points we found that might have you stuck with your health goals (hint: it’s not your fault!)
1. The Inevitable Plateau
According to a Washington post article, once you gain the initial traction, there will be an inevitable plateau. It’s actually part of the journey. You didn’t do anything wrong, but rather you hit a milestone. Once you achieve your small goals, the journey is just beginning!
The plateau is your body’s way of telling you that you may need to switch up your fitness or eating regime to keep your body stimulated and get the most benefits from your efforts! Remember that health does not have an endpoint, it is a journey with a myriad of challenges and achievements that help sustain healthy behaviors.
2. Having grit: make a plan and stick to it!
To overcome the plateau, it’s important to analyze your goals. But first, what are they? Why do you want to achieve these goals? What steps can you take right now to achieve your goals? Having grit shows that you are resilient, able to persevere through tough situations, and keep your eye on the prize.
Remember that your journey towards better health may be nonlinear and may come with obstacles. But it’s important to create a system that works for you and make your goals attainable. According to Plunkett of the Washington Post, “the main difference between an average adult and a high-level athlete isn’t a lack of talent or willpower but rather a lack of a system.” At Achievement, we’re here to help you reach your goals no matter how big or small. Whether it is walking 5,000 steps or 25,000 steps per day, you will be rewarded for your healthy actions!
3. Have someone nudge you — accountability and buddy system
A few health experts like Dr. Arefa Cassoobhoy found that she does better when she shares her health goals with someone else. It’s important to have someone support you and be able to share wins and losses during your health journey. Having someone join you will also hold you accountable to reach your goals, and you may be helping someone else reach theirs! Win-win!
Additionally, digital health trackers are a great way to help hold you accountable to health goals and track your journey. Our in-house research team looked at thousands of individuals using digital health trackers and found a positive association between activity tracking frequency and weight loss. Just one more reason to try out a new health and wellness app for some extra accountability.
4. Rethink, don’t sink.
Perspective is key — making healthy choices shouldn’t be seen as a chore, but more of making everyday incremental investments to be a better version of yourself. Instead of having the same routine for months straight, mix it up. Try a new exercise, mix up your sleep routine, or try adding daily meditation to your day to see what works for you. This will stimulate more progression and get you out of the plateau sooner.
If you dislike running, try substituting running for something that still keeps your heart going like swimming. If you dislike eating certain foods, try substituting those foods with other ones you like that offer the same nutrition. Your health journey is not a race to the finish line — remember that this journey is about learning and creating the best version of yourself.
Cultivating confidence and finding the reasons behind your goals will help motivate you through the journey. PennState Extension Educator Lynn James stated building confidence, praise, and support are key factors in motivating you to reach your health goals. Furthermore, take time to thank your body. Akin to health expert Samantha Heller, a registered dietitian and exercise physiologist, shares that your body is working 24/7 to keep you alive; therefore, we should appreciate our body and hone in on practicing positive body image.
5. Pat yourself on the back: reward yourself.
Lastly, recognize that you are making strides and meeting milestones in your journey. For all the hard work you put in, you deserve to treat yourself! Through the Achievement app, you can connect and earn points for cash for your hard work! Woo-hoo! Our research team notes how incentives can help form habits. In this case, we want to reward you for the healthy actions you take to form healthy habits.
You can make a reward system that best suits your lifestyle, such as going to the movies or going out with your loved ones after completing your week’s workout. If you have been diligent in preparing your meals and enjoy making your own meals and drinks, use your Achievement reward to treat yourself to buying the nice blender that you wanted for your smoothies or slow cooker for your weekly meals. If you have been sticking to your exercise routine, use your rest day to spend some time hanging out with your family or friends and share your journey with them.
At Achievement, we strive to support you along your health journey and make it enjoyable. We hope that these key points and tips will give you the boost you needed to carry on and continue to progress. Was there something that we missed that made it on your motivator list? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Meet Our Community of Evidation Members
We recently shared a survey out to our community. The feedback and responses we’ve been receiving from our work and research brings us comfort and assurance knowing that the Evidation app has made a positive impact on your lives.
At Evidation, we're committed to putting our community first and to helping you reach your health goals no matter how big or small. We recently shared a survey out to our community. The feedback and responses we’ve been receiving from our work and research brings us comfort and assurance knowing that the Evidation app has made a positive impact on your lives. Our community of members is our driving force to create and learn new things that help you reach your health goals. Your stories have truly hit it home for us, and we love reading them.
We’re excited to continue to be part of your health journey and guide you in any step you need to keep achieving. Want to hear more about what our community of members feel? Meet the community and read their responses:
“I’ve been using Evidation for about 2 months now. I need to get back into exercising to earn more points. I like that it offers interesting articles to read and surveys. I enjoy Evidation because it will help me to reach my goals!” — (Emily D., Michigan)
“I have been using Evidation for a few years now. I participated in the 1yr Cognitive Health Study that really helped me to know how to improve my cognitive health and protect my brain from damage due to diet and environment. It motivated me to start an exercise class for seniors. This photo was last week. As of today we have 11 in the class. I am blessed!” — (Janet A., California)
“I have been using Evidation for probably close to 2 years now. I am hoping more people continue to use this so that data can be collected on activity, diet, weight, and sleep patterns and be studied to see the effects on health. This app has definitely made me track my weight closer and log my food more as well. I think this is a great app that may motivate people to make changes for a healthier lifestyle and better quality of life.” — (Ryan A., Florida)
“I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the participants in the [cognitive health] study. It was a great experience and has made me more aware of what I need to do to keep my memory healthy. It has taught me which foods are essential for mental health and the need for exercise.” — (Carol C., PA)
“I have been using Evidation since the beginning of the year and it has been an awesome tool to quantifying my activities each day. I am a marathon runner but Evidation has been awesome for seeing all of the activities aside from running. It also just runs in the background of my daily life and will eventually earn me some money. I have been managing my own blog for my running for the past year and Evidation is changing the game for me.” — (Amanda R., South Carolina)
“I’ve been using Evidation now for about a month and a half and it’s amazing that I can earn money for being active! I challenge myself everyday to walk more and more to earn even more points then I did the day before. Cheers to being healthy! :)” — (Madison S., Indiana)
“It has been difficult to find a health routine to fit my third shift schedule. Working from midnight to 8 am sometimes forces you to eat bad food to stay awake! Fitbit and Evidation keep me accountable. I am now on a workout routine that gives me energy to put my all into work and my relationships outside of work.” — (Lauren B., Ohio)
“Evidation has been great in motivating me to get to a better place. Seeing the points I accumulate only makes me want to do more! I signed up as a means to better my health due to having high blood pressure since the age of 3. About two years ago, I decided to take up running to help do my part. Since then I have been getting faster, going farther, and feeling better than I ever have!” — (Eddy R., Pennsylvania)
“Having an app pay me to work out definitely has given me the motivation to join a gym and become a healthier happier person. I was also part of a migraine study which I hope my data is used to help someway in the future.” — (Katie N., MA)
Thanks again to all of our Evidation Members who have already shared their amazing stories. We’d love to hear from more of you! What does Evidation mean to you? What do you want to achieve? How can we help get you there? And let’s not forget, you can be a part of our Evidation community! Check out some of their awesome smiles below.
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Can sleep patterns tell us the severity of our anxiety or depression?
Depression and anxiety can have a huge impact on our daily lives and overall health. It can affect our mood, social interactions, sleep and more, but can our daily behaviors predict the severity of our anxiety and depression? Our research team sought to find out more.
We know that anxiety and depression affect many of you, with 7 out of 10 adults in the U.S. saying they experience stress or anxiety daily. Depression and anxiety can have a huge impact on our daily lives and overall health. It can affect our mood, social interactions, sleep and more, but can our daily behaviors predict the severity of our anxiety and depression? Our research team sought to find out more.
What we tested
We enrolled over 1,000 participants in a clinical study with self-reported anxiety and depression and assessed the participants’ mental health states by looking at the following for each individual:
- Anxiety and depression symptoms
- Number of hospitalizations and ER visits for anxiety/depression
- Use of anxiety and depression medications
We then looked at participants’ sleep metrics and patterns for the previous three months.
What we learned
Severe depression was significantly associated with inconsistent and disordered sleep patterns, such as spending a great amount of time in bed awake. Individuals taking medications for their anxiety and/or depression were likely to sleep more compared to those not receiving treatment, however, they also had inconsistent sleep patterns. Participants who had been previously hospitalized for anxiety and/or depression were more likely to have inconsistent sleep patterns as well.
What does this mean?
We all know that a lack of sleep can affect our daily lives, but it can also be associated with severe depression and anxiety. This means that certain sleep patterns might be able to predict the severity of an individual’s mental well-being in the future. With further research we’d like to understand if tracking sleep behavior could predict changes in the severity of an individual’s mental health condition.
Thanks to all of our members who participated in this research about how daily behaviors, like sleep, can tell help researchers to better understand anxiety and depression. If you’re interested in contributing to innovative research, we are regularly running new studies at Evidation.
3 Reasons Why Tracking Your Health Can Help You Participate in Better Health Outcomes
Here are the top three reasons why tracking your health with Evidation will help you be part of something just a little bit bigger than yourself this holiday season.
According to 2015 Pew Research, “one in three cell phone owners have used their phone to look for health information.” Four years ago, we started Evidation to help everyone understand their personal health, take control of their health journey, and help contribute to improving the health of everyone. Here are the top three reasons why tracking your health with Evidation will help you be part of something just a little bit bigger than yourself this holiday season.
1. Actively participate in your health
With the over 30+ apps that you can connect to Evidation, we’re able to look at patterns of activity levels and do a deep dive into tracking health and wellness. We’ve published research around how your social engagements can impact activity levels. Lastly, we’ve given our community a chance to learn from each other, asking communities of individuals what questions they have for one another and sharing back the results.
2. Learn about health and research through insights
With a community of over a million, we’re constantly looking for opportunities to highlight and share relevant research tailored to you. We’ve also done deep dives on seasonal trends over the last year, including a step analysis around the Pokemon Go phenomenon, the difference between men and women during Back to School, and a look across the United States at Halloween calorie count.
3. Participate in ground-breaking research to advance the health of everyone
We’re focused on building a product that makes your interactions with health unified. We believe that health is much more than a visit to the doctor. It’s a constant effort every day of how to track/monitor healthy activities — whether it be steps taken, heart rate monitored, sleep tracked, or even meditation sessions executed. Sign up for Evidation today and starting taking health-related actions, including contributing to cutting-edge clinical studies that are tailored to your specific health conditions.
Dads vs. Moms: How does the transition from summer to fall impact activity levels?
The change in seasons often brings with it a change in routine. We wanted to know how the transition from summer to fall affects our health and wellness, and we’re excited to share these insights from members.
The change in seasons often brings with it a change in routine. So we wanted to know how the transition from summer to fall affects our health and wellness, and we’re excited to share these insights from Evidation Members.
The transition to fall can be especially cumbersome for parents as they juggle back to school duties, but is one parent more impacted than the other by the changing season? We decided to take a closer look at how moms and dads health holds up during the seasonal transition. We were also curious to explore how sleep and steps between parents and non-parents compared.
Who is catching more zzzs?
We uncovered a statistically significant gender disparity between moms and dads. Moms sleep 5 minutes less in the summer than their non-mom counterparts. As the school year ramps up in late August and early September, the difference is significantly more pronounced on weekdays. Moms sleep 10 minutes less than their non-mom counterparts. Dads, on the other hand, show no consistent differences from their counterparts in summer or fall. If anything, they may sleep slightly more.
Moms are also taking a bigger hit in sleep interruption than Dads. Moms sleep 0.34% less than non-moms and 1.4% less than dads. Surprisingly though, non-dads have the most sleep interruptions, spending 8.3% of the night awake.
What time is everyone falling asleep?
Moms fall asleep 12 minutes earlier than non-moms, while dads fall asleep 24 minutes earlier than non-dads. So, while dads don’t seem to be sleeping any less if they are a parent, they appear to be shifting their sleep schedules more. Interestingly, all four groups shift their bedtimes earlier in fall, possibly due to earlier sunsets.
Who is taking more steps?
Moms take fewer steps than non-moms in general. During the summer, moms take 427 fewer steps/day on weekends and 243 fewer steps/day on weekdays. However, when the school year starts, their weekends show an even larger deficit, at 543 fewer steps/day vs non-moms. Their weekdays step counts improve markedly, though, at just 85 fewer steps/day than non-moms.
Dads show the opposite pattern. They actually take more steps than non-dads. In the summer, they have an average of 250 steps/day more than non-dads, while in the fall, they have an average of 348 steps/day more than non-dads.