Migraines attack all the senses, causing pain; nausea; and sensitivity to light, sound, odors, and in some cases, touch. So it's critical to have a comfortable, dim, quiet, and fragrance-free space in your home that you can retreat to whenever a migraine hits. The bedroom is a logical choice — there's a comfortable place to lie down and you mentally associate the room with rest. However, any room of your home will do as long as it's properly prepared.

Think about your specific migraine symptoms and what supplies you should have on hand to best combat them. Keep your migraine prescriptions and OTC drugs at bedside if possible (if you have children, make sure all medication is safely secured in childproof containers). If nausea and vomiting is a persistent problem, a pan or other receptacle is a necessity. Water and mints (if tolerated) can help clean out your mouth if you feel too ill to get out of bed. If sound intensifies your head pain, earplugs may be helpful. If sensitivity to bright light is a problem, have a soft eye mask at your bedside. There are also many ways to adjust the design of your space in order to promote a speedy recovery.

If your bedroom gets lots of sunlight, it's important that you be able to block light effectively at a moment's notice. Blackout shades or curtain liners can help darken your room, and they have the added benefit of being good noise insulators. If you find that you're most comfortable with some low ambient light, install a dimmer switch or a lamp that has dimming capabilities.

Making your recovery space quiet may be your biggest challenge. Make sure your phone has a ringer that can be turned off. If your bedroom is in a high-traffic area of your home, consider converting a remote room of your house into a recovery space. If circumstances make complete quiet hard to achieve, a white-noise machine can help block out unwanted sound. There are also sound machines available that play ocean surf, rain, and other natural environmental sounds at a low level, which may help you relax while blocking out ambient noise.

Comfortable temperature and humidity levels can also play a role in recovery. Depending on weather patterns and air quality in the part of the country you live in, you may occasionally need some extra help above and beyond central heating and/or air conditioning units. Store an extra fan, dehumidifier, and/or air filtration unit in the closet to have on hand as needed. The more comfortable you are, the easier it is to rest and speed your recovery.