A free guide · Dayhouse Health

The Migraine-Friendly Home.

Evidence-informed, room-by-room guidance for making your home a calmer place to live with migraine.

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Grounded in peer-reviewed research Room-by-room, written for migraineurs
Where you live matters

Every light, sound and scent works with your nervous system, or against it.

Most migraine management focuses on what you take and what you avoid. It rarely asks about where you live. For the more than 39 million Americans who live with migraine, the home is more than where life happens. It is the environment your nervous system sits in for the vast majority of the day. This guide is a starting point. It looks, room by room, at the inputs your home sends your body, and what you can change.

18hours a day at home
For a migraine-prone nervous system, that is eighteen hours of light, sound, air and visual input your body is processing, most of it shaped by your home.
The research, in plain terms

Where the research stands.

Biophilic design, the practice of connecting the built environment back to nature, is a growing area of research at the intersection of architecture, neuroscience and public health. It looks at how light, air, sound, materials and views shape the autonomic and circadian systems your body uses to stay regulated.

Our team has synthesised this research into a framework we call THE Standard, the Therapeutic Home Environment, set out in our peer-reviewed publications. The recommendations in this guide are drawn from that work, translated into changes you can make in your own home this week.

See our research →

Three sensory dimensions

Start with what your body is taking in.

A migraine-prone nervous system is already working harder to process sensory input. Three categories of inputs do the heaviest lifting at home: what you breathe, what you hear, and what you see.

01
Olfactory · what you breathe

Indoor air quality.

Why it matters
You take roughly 22,000 breaths a day, most of them indoors. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) off-gas from furniture and finishes. Synthetic fragrances, mould and common allergens build up too, especially in spaces that do not ventilate well. Many people living with migraine find these are inputs worth paying attention to at home.
Assess your home
Walk through each room and ask: when was the HVAC filter last changed? Are there scented candles, plug-ins, or fragranced cleaners in active use? Is there visible mold or persistent dampness anywhere — under sinks, around windows, in the bathroom? When did you last open the windows?
What to do
Add an indoor air quality monitor so you can see what's actually in the air. Run HEPA purifiers in the rooms where you spend the most time, especially the bedroom. Change HVAC filters on schedule. Switch to fragrance-free or naturally scented cleaning products. Choose low-VOC paints and finishes for any renovation. Open windows daily, even briefly, to flush the indoor air.
02
Auditory · what you hear

The soundscape.

Why it matters
Constant low-level noise, and the absence of restful sound, work against the autonomic regulation your body relies on. Even sounds you have stopped noticing, the HVAC hum, a refrigerator drone, distant traffic, can keep your body in a low-grade state of alertness.
Assess your home
Use a free sound-level app on your phone to measure the rooms you spend the most time in, especially at night. What appliances cycle on and off? Where are the hard surfaces that bounce sound around? When was the last time the room was actually quiet?
What to do
Soften reflective surfaces with rugs, curtains and natural-material acoustic panels (wool felt, cork, wood slats). Introduce restorative sound rather than just removing noise: low-volume nature sounds, ambient music or simple silence as a daily practice. Move noisy appliances out of bedrooms where possible.
03
Visual · what you see

Cleanliness and clutter.

Why it matters
A sensitised nervous system is already working to filter everything it sees. Visual clutter adds to that work. Every object in your sightline is something the brain registers and processes. Disorganised, busy spaces can heighten the sense of overstimulation and make it harder for your body to settle into rest and recovery.
Assess your home
Where does your eye land when you enter a room: calm, open surfaces, or a pile of competing objects? Are the spaces where you rest and recover (bedroom, a favourite chair) visually quiet? Can you find what you need without searching through clutter?
What to do
Clear flat surfaces in the rooms where you spend the most time, especially the bedroom. Give frequently used items a designated home so tidying is quick rather than effortful. Reduce visual noise: fewer objects on display, calmer sightlines, simple storage that hides rather than shows. Aim for rooms that feel restful to look at, not just clean.
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  • Room-by-room PDF
  • Printable checklist
  • Drawn from peer-reviewed work
Room by room

A migraine-supportive home, one room at a time.

You don't need to redo your whole house. Pick the room you spend the most time in and start there. The full PDF includes the assessment questions and product categories for each room.

01 · Living room

A refuge, not a stage.

  • Dimmable, indirect lighting on multiple circuits
  • Sound-absorbing rugs, curtains, and acoustic panels
  • Comfortable seating with proper neck support
  • HEPA air purification running quietly in the background
  • A refuge/prospect lounge spot: a seat that looks out at something
  • Natural-material furniture: wood, linen, wool
  • Indoor plants for air and visual calm
02 · Kitchen

Calm under the cabinets.

  • Anti-glare lighting: task lighting under cabinets, no exposed bulbs
  • Lower-noise appliances, especially the dishwasher and range hood
  • Organized storage that hides visual stimuli behind doors
  • Good ventilation for food odors and cleaning products
  • Ergonomic work surfaces at the right heights for your body
03 · Bedroom

A room for recovery.

  • Full blackout capability: blinds, drapes or both
  • Cooler temperature control overnight
  • Supportive, allergen-resistant bedding and pillows
  • Sound-absorbing panels or natural-material wall coverings
  • Biophilic wall art: nature, water, slow visual texture
  • Migraine-friendly aromatherapy where tolerated, such as lavender
04 · Home office

Work without the load.

  • Anti-glare and blue-light filtering on screens
  • Ergonomic seating and a monitor at the right height
  • Natural light with adjustable coverings for the worst hours
  • Biophilic elements within sightline: a plant, a view, natural texture
  • Acoustic sound control: soft surfaces, a closed door
Ready to go deeper

Want this work done with you, not just for you to figure out alone?

Our 12-week Healing at Home pilot program applies the same framework to your own home: an assessment, a personalised plan and six implementation consultations.

Learn about Healing at Home Apply for the pilot
Important

The Therapeutic Home Environment framework is an evidence-informed, peer-reviewed body of work. This guide is not a medical device, a prescription or a substitute for medical care. The recommendations here are meant to work alongside your existing physicians, medications and treatment plan, not to replace them. Results vary based on individual circumstances and the extent to which recommendations are implemented.