How long does a migraine last? The four phases, hour by hour
The headache phase of a migraine lasts 4 to 72 hours, but the warning signs before it and the hangover after it can each add up to two days. Here is how long each phase lasts, what diary studies show, and when an attack has gone on too long.
Short answer
The headache phase of a migraine lasts 4 to 72 hours in adults when it is untreated or treatment does not work, according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3) (1); in children and teenagers it can be as short as 2 hours. But the pain is only one part. The warning phase before it (prodrome) and the "hangover" after it (postdrome) can each last up to 48 hours (3), so one attack can take a day out of your week or, at the long end, most of it.
In diary studies of people treated at a headache clinic in the Netherlands, the typical (median) attack lasted about 32 to 44 hours, and attacks around a period lasted longer than attacks at other times (8). If your migraines feel like they eat whole days, not hours, you are not imagining it: that is exactly what the phase-by-phase numbers show.
Note: This article is for education and is not medical advice. A migraine attack that lasts longer than 72 hours, or aura that lasts longer than 1 hour, needs urgent medical advice. A sudden, extremely painful headache, weakness on one side of the body or face, trouble speaking, vision loss or confusion needs emergency care (4). This guide is published by Welltory, which makes one of the apps mentioned.
If you live with migraine and want to work out your own pattern with other women who get it, Welltory runs a paid peer-support program: join Migraine Lab here (what Migraine Lab is, who it is for and what it costs). It is education and peer support, not medical care.
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How long does a migraine last? The numbers in one table
Here is every official time limit in one place. The first column is the phase, the second is how long it can last by the diagnostic definition, and the third is what the source says in plain words.
| Phase | How long it can last | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Prodrome (warning signs) | up to 48 hours before the pain | "A symptomatic phase, lasting up to 48 hours, occurring before the onset of pain" (3) |
| Aura (only some people get it) | 5–60 minutes per symptom | each aura symptom "lasts 5-60 minutes"; aura is followed by headache within 60 minutes (2) |
| Headache | 4–72 hours in adults; 2–72 hours under 18 | attacks "lasting 4-72 hr (untreated or unsuccessfully treated)" (1) |
| Postdrome ("migraine hangover") | up to 48 hours after the pain | "A symptomatic phase, lasting up to 48 hours, following the resolution of pain" (3) |
NHS puts the everyday version simply: migraine attacks "usually last between 4 hours and 3 days," early symptoms can start hours or up to 2 days before the head pain, and aura should not last longer than 1 hour (4). Cleveland Clinic estimates that it can take about 8 to 72 hours to go through all four stages, with the postdrome usually lasting a few hours up to 48 hours (5).
Two details change how you read these numbers:
Not every attack has every phase. Many people never get aura. Some notice no warning signs; others have a long prodrome and almost no hangover.
The 4–72 hours is for an attack that is not treated, or not treated successfully. If a medicine works, your headache can be shorter. That is why the official number describes the natural length of the attack, not how long yours must last.
The four phases of a migraine, and how long each one takes
Doctors often describe migraine as an attack with four phases. Knowing which phase you are in helps you plan the day and tells you what to say to your doctor.
Prodrome: hours to 2 days before the pain
The prodrome is the stretch of "something is off" before the headache. NHS lists tiredness, yawning, food cravings, thirst, mood changes, a stiff neck and needing to pee more (4). ICHD-3 adds difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light or sound, nausea and blurred vision, and says these symptoms "may begin hours or a day or two before" the rest of the attack (2).
How reliable is it? In an electronic diary study of 97 people presented by the American Academy of Neurology, 72% of those who noticed warning symptoms went on to have a migraine within 72 hours at least half the time; the most common signs were tiredness, difficulty concentrating and a stiff neck (12). Brain imaging has shown the hypothalamus — the area that runs sleep, hunger and thirst — becoming more active in the 48 hours before the headache (13).
This matters for timing: a chocolate craving or heavy yawning the evening before may already be the attack, not its cause. Our guide to migraine prodrome vs trigger explains how to tell the two apart.
Aura: 5 to 60 minutes per symptom
Aura is a set of fully reversible symptoms — most often visual, like zigzag lines, flashing lights or a blind spot, sometimes pins and needles, or trouble finding words. By the ICHD-3 criteria, each aura symptom lasts 5 to 60 minutes, and the definition of terms notes aura typically lasts 20 to 30 minutes (2, 3). If you get two or three aura symptoms one after another, the total can be longer, because each one has its own 60-minute window (2).
The headache usually follows within an hour, but not always. Some people have aura with no headache at all.
The time limit is also a safety line. NHS advises getting urgent medical advice if aura lasts longer than 1 hour at a time (4).
Headache: 4 to 72 hours
This is the phase most people mean when they ask how long a migraine lasts. The pain is often throbbing and one-sided, gets worse with movement, and comes with nausea or vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound (4).
ICHD-3 sets 4 to 72 hours in adults and 2 to 72 hours in people under 18 (1). A practical rule from the same criteria: if you fall asleep during a migraine and wake up without it, the attack is counted as ending when you wake up.
Postdrome: up to 48 hours after the pain
When the pain fades, many people still feel drained, foggy and slow. ICHD-3 calls this the postdrome and gives it up to 48 hours, with fatigue and elated or depressed mood among the most common symptoms (2).
Most people recover faster than the maximum. In a 3-month electronic diary study of 120 people, 81% reported at least one postdrome symptom, and in 93% of attacks people were back to normal within 24 hours after the pain ended on its own (6). In a clinic study of 827 people, the postdrome lasted 25.2 hours on average, and 88% of those who had one recovered within 24 hours (7).
If the day after is the part that wrecks your plans, our guide on whether to go to work the day after a migraine looks at what is actually impaired and how to plan that day.
Why "4 to 72 hours" answers only part of the question
The 4–72 hour figure is a diagnostic rule. Doctors use it to decide whether a headache is migraine at all (1). It was never meant to tell you how much of your life one attack costs.
Add the phases up and the picture is different. On paper, with every phase at its longest, a single attack could stretch from the first yawns to the last foggy afternoon over roughly a week: up to 48 hours of prodrome, about an hour of aura, up to 72 hours of headache and up to 48 hours of postdrome. That is the theoretical maximum, not what most people live through. A more common shape, using the averages above, is an evening of warning signs, a day of pain and a slow next day.
That is why two people can both say "my migraines last a day" and mean very different things. One counts only the pain. The other counts from the first craving to feeling normal again. When you talk to your doctor, it helps to give both numbers: hours of pain, and days affected.
Work out your early warning signs with women who get it
Welltory Migraine Lab is a paid, moderated online community for women 18 to 65 living with migraine. Opens December 1, 2026. Peer support and education, not medical care.
How long migraines last in real life: what diary studies show
Definitions give limits. Diaries show what actually happens.
| Study | Who | What it found about duration |
|---|---|---|
| Verhagen et al., Headache 2023 (8) | 1,347 women and 284 men followed with an e-diary at a Dutch headache clinic | Median attack length: 32.1 h in men, 36.7 h for women's attacks away from their period, 44.4 h for attacks around the period |
| van Casteren et al., Neurology 2021 (9) | 500 women, about 5,100 attacks | Attacks around the period lasted 20.0 h vs 16.1 h at other times, and were more likely to come back after easing |
| Giffin et al., Neurology 2016 (6) | 120 people, 3-month diary | 93% of attacks: back to normal within 24 h after the pain ended on its own |
| Kelman, Cephalalgia 2006 (7) | 827 headache clinic patients | Postdrome in 68%; average 25.2 h; 12% longer than 24 h |
Three takeaways:
Many attacks last more than a day. Even the shorter numbers here are in the range of 16 to 20 hours, and a clinic population often runs closer to a day and a half.
Attacks around your period tend to be longer. Both Dutch studies found this, and the 2021 study also found these attacks were more likely to return after easing (9). If you notice the same pattern, our guide to menstrual migraine covers it in detail.
The numbers come from clinic patients. People who see a headache specialist often have harder-to-treat migraine, so these figures may run longer than for someone with occasional, mild attacks. A 2023 review also warned that postdrome estimates vary a lot depending on how studies ask about symptoms (14).
What makes a migraine attack last longer
Some attacks clear in an afternoon and others drag on for three days. A few factors are linked to longer attacks:
Hormone timing. Attacks around a period lasted longer and recurred more often in diary studies (8, 9).
Treating late. NHS advises that if you take painkillers, you take them as soon as the headache starts (4). Ask your doctor what "early" means for the medicine you have.
Taking acute medicine too often. NHS warns that using painkillers on more than 2 days a week can lead to more headaches and make migraine harder to treat (4). ICHD-3 defines medication-overuse headache as headache on 15 or more days a month with regular overuse of acute medicine for more than 3 months, at 10 or more or 15 or more days a month depending on the medicine (11). ICHD-3 also notes that attacks lasting more than 72 hours are often caused by medication overuse (10).
Vomiting. If you cannot keep tablets or fluids down, the medicine may not work and you can get dehydrated. That is a reason to call your doctor rather than wait it out.
Not resting. NHS suggests sleeping or lying down in a darkened room during an attack (4). That is not always possible with work or children, and pushing through can make the day feel longer.
None of these is a personal failing. Your cycle is not a choice, and many people treat late because they are not sure the headache is a migraine yet. If that uncertainty sounds familiar, read our guide to whether it is a headache or a migraine.
How long is too long for a migraine?
There is a clear line: more than 72 hours.
ICHD-3 calls a debilitating migraine attack lasting more than 72 hours "status migrainosus." Breaks of up to 12 hours thanks to medicine or sleep still count as the same attack (10). NHS advises asking for an urgent GP appointment or calling NHS 111 if a migraine attack lasts longer than 72 hours (4). In the United States, that means calling your doctor the same day, using an urgent care line, or going to the emergency room if you cannot reach anyone or have red-flag symptoms.
Day 3 of a migraine is a reasonable moment to act: if the pain is not clearly easing by then, call before you reach the 72-hour mark rather than after.
How to time your own migraine attacks
You will learn more from a month of honest timing than from any average. Here is a simple method.
Mark the first warning sign. Note the time you first feel "off": the yawning, the craving, the stiff neck. It is fine to add it later once you know an attack followed.
Mark aura start and end, if you get it. Note what you saw or felt.
Mark when the pain starts, how bad it is (0–10), and what you took and when.
Mark when the pain is gone. If you slept it off, use the time you woke up pain-free, the same rule ICHD-3 uses (1).
Mark when you feel normal again. This is the end of the postdrome, and the number most people never record.
Count two totals: hours of pain, and days affected (any day you could not do what you planned).
Repeat for 4 to 8 weeks. Then look at the range, not one attack.
A paper diary works. So does a notes app. Our migraine headache diary guide has a template and tips for what to log when you can barely look at a screen.
Common mistakes when counting migraine duration
Counting only the pain. If the prodrome and postdrome take two more days, that is part of your migraine burden. Say so.
Starting the clock at the worst moment. Pain often builds slowly. Start from the first sign of headache, not from when it became unbearable.
Calling a returning headache a new one. Pain that eases and then returns within the same attack is still one attack. ICHD-3 even allows breaks of up to 12 hours inside a status migrainosus count (10).
Confusing the postdrome with a new attack. A dull leftover ache with tiredness is usually postdrome. Throbbing pain that returns with nausea and light sensitivity is the attack continuing or coming back, and it may need treating again.
Comparing yourself with an average. The median from a study is the middle of a wide range. Your normal might be 10 hours or 50.
Living with migraine: the questions people ask next
Can a migraine last a week?
The headache phase is not supposed to last more than 72 hours; beyond that it is called status migrainosus and needs medical advice (10). What can last close to a week is the whole episode, if a long prodrome and a long postdrome sit on either side of the pain. If you have had daily head pain for a week, do not wait for it to pass — call your doctor.
Why have I had a migraine for 3 days?
Three days is the upper limit of a typical attack (1). Common reasons for a long attack include hormone timing, treatment that started late or did not work, vomiting that stops you keeping medicine down, and frequent use of painkillers (4, 8). At this point it is time to contact a doctor.
How long does a migraine aura last?
Each aura symptom usually lasts 5 to 60 minutes, and aura as a whole typically lasts 20 to 30 minutes (2, 3). Aura that lasts longer than 1 hour needs urgent medical advice (4).
How long do migraines last in kids and teens?
In people under 18, the headache phase can last 2 to 72 hours, so a 2-hour attack in a child can still be migraine (1). Talk to your child's pediatrician about how to track attacks and what to do during one.
Can you sleep off a migraine?
Sometimes. NHS suggests sleeping or lying down in a darkened room during an attack (4), and by ICHD-3 rules an attack you sleep through ends when you wake up without pain (1). Many people still wake into a postdrome.
Before you blame yourself
When an attack takes three days, it is easy to think you did something wrong: you waited too long, you should have rested, you should have known. Before you blame yourself, look at your data. Timing your attacks for a month usually shows a pattern — longer attacks around your period, after short nights, or when you waited to take your medicine. Pick one lever and keep it for 2 weeks: for example, writing down the first warning sign every time, or agreeing with your doctor on what you take and when. Then compare the length of your attacks. One change at a time is how you learn what actually shortens your migraine days.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor if your attacks are severe, getting worse, lasting longer than usual, happening more than once a week, hard to control, or regularly coming before or during your period (4).
Get urgent medical advice the same day if a migraine attack lasts longer than 72 hours, if aura lasts longer than 1 hour, or if you are pregnant or have just had a baby (4).
Call 911 or your local emergency number for a sudden, extremely painful headache; problems speaking or remembering; vision loss, blurred or double vision; drowsiness or confusion; a seizure; a very high temperature with signs of meningitis; weakness or being unable to move one side of the body or face; or a headache after a recent head injury (4). NHS also advises not to drive yourself to the emergency department.
How to bring this up with your doctor
You will get more useful advice if you describe your attacks with numbers.
Bring 4 to 8 weeks of timings: first warning sign, pain start, pain end, back to normal, and what you took and when.
Say both totals out loud: "My headache lasts about 30 hours, and I lose about two days per attack."
Ask by name: "Is my acute treatment right for how long my attacks last?" "Should I be taking it earlier?" "Am I using it on too many days?" "Would a preventive treatment make sense for me?"
Mention hormone timing if your longest attacks come around your period.
If you feel dismissed, say: "These attacks take several days out of each month. I would like a plan for long attacks, including what to do if one goes past 72 hours."
Ask for that plan in writing: what to take, when to call, and when to go to the emergency room.
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How Welltory helps — and what it cannot do
What it cannot do. Welltory is a general wellness product, not a medical device. It does not measure anything in the brain, it does not diagnose migraine, it cannot predict an attack, and it cannot tell you when an attack will end. Our review of whether a smartwatch can predict a migraine explains why no wearable can do that yet.
What it can do is help you build an honest record of how long your attacks and recovery take, and what your body looked like around them:
A quick heart rate and HRV reading with your phone camera. It is a spot reading, not continuous monitoring; follow the measurement guide and the tips for accurate HRV readings. Taken the same way each morning, it shows when your readings drift away from your own usual and when they come back.
Sleep, resting heart rate and activity from your watch or ring. You can connect Apple Health, Health Connect and other sources, so the nights before and after an attack are recorded without extra effort.
Tag what happened. If you use an iPhone with an Apple Watch or Oura ring, the Today screen flags stress stretches and asks "What happened?" — tap a tag, type a few words or just talk: "migraine started," "aura," "pain gone," "still foggy." Those tags become your timeline.
Looking back at patterns. On iOS, My Patterns shows how your measurements relate to what you log, so you can compare the days around long and short attacks.
A record for your doctor. You can export your data as a CSV file from the web app and bring it to your appointment. Patterns are something to discuss with your doctor, not proof of a cause.
Working this out with other women. Welltory Migraine Lab is a paid, moderated online community for women aged 18 to 65 living with migraine; you do not need a formal diagnosis to join. It opens on December 1, 2026; you can book your place now, and your paid period starts on the opening day. Members get a personal strategy built on their own data, a community of women with similar symptoms, and a medical board that explains what is happening in the body. It is education and peer support, not medical care, and it does not replace your clinician. Join Migraine Lab or read what Migraine Lab is, who it is for and what it costs.
How we made it
We based this article on the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3), NHS and Cleveland Clinic guidance, and peer-reviewed diary studies in Neurology, Headache and Cephalalgia. Every number was checked against the source we cite on November 10, 2026. Search questions came from what people in the United States most often ask about how long migraines last. For the product section, we checked every function against the Welltory Help Center on November 10, 2026.
Made with AI tools, then edited and fact-checked by the Welltory team. See our Editorial & AI policy.
Jane Smorodnikova, co-founder of Welltory, built the methodology behind how we read physiological data.
Written by Tatsiana Yashyna.
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This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. A migraine attack that lasts longer than 72 hours, or aura that lasts longer than 1 hour, needs urgent medical advice. A sudden, extremely painful headache, weakness on one side of the body or face, trouble speaking, vision loss or confusion needs emergency care. This guide is published by Welltory, which makes one of the apps mentioned. Welltory is a general wellness product: it helps you track and understand your data and does not diagnose or treat any condition. Sources were retrieved on November 10, 2026.
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Written by Jane Smorodnikova
The founder and CEO of Welltory. A recognized tech leader with two Master's degrees and experience at MIT, she has scaled Welltory to over 17 million users.
Written by Tatsiana Yashyna
Deputy COO at Welltory. With a background in medicine and years of working with health data, she translates research and real physiological signals — sleep, stress, heart rate, and hormones — into clear, evidence-based explanations that help people understand what their bodies are telling them.
References
- International Headache Society. ICHD-3 — 1.1 Migraine without aura. https://ichd-3.org/1-migraine/1-1-migraine-without-aura/
- International Headache Society. ICHD-3 — 1.2 Migraine with aura. https://ichd-3.org/1-migraine/1-2-migraine-with-aura/
- International Headache Society. ICHD-3 — Definition of terms. https://ichd-3.org/definition-of-terms/
- NHS — Migraine. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/migraine/
- Cleveland Clinic — Migraine headaches. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/5005-migraine-headaches
- Giffin NJ, Lipton RB, Silberstein SD, Olesen J, Goadsby PJ. The migraine postdrome: an electronic diary study. Neurology 2016;87(3):309–313. https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000002789
- Kelman L. The postdrome of the acute migraine attack. Cephalalgia 2006. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2982.2005.01026.x
- Verhagen IE, van der Arend BWH, van Casteren DS, et al. Sex differences in migraine attack characteristics: a longitudinal E-diary study. Headache 2023;63(3):333–341. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.14488
- van Casteren DS, Verhagen IE, van der Arend BWH, van Zwet EW, MaassenVanDenBrink A, Terwindt GM. Comparing perimenstrual and nonperimenstrual migraine attacks using an e-diary. Neurology 2021;97(17):e1661–e1671. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000012723
- International Headache Society. ICHD-3 — 1.4.1 Status migrainosus. https://ichd-3.org/1-migraine/1-4-complications-of-migraine/1-4-1-status-migrainosus/
- International Headache Society. ICHD-3 — 8.2 Medication-overuse headache. https://ichd-3.org/8-headache-attributed-to-a-substance-or-its-withdrawal/8-2-medication-overuse-headache-moh/
- American Academy of Neurology. Press release: electronic diaries help people with migraine predict attacks (Giffin NJ, et al. Premonitory symptoms in migraine: an electronic diary study. Neurology 2003). https://www.aan.com/pressroom/home/pressrelease/42
- Karsan N, Goadsby PJ. Neuroimaging in the pre-ictal or premonitory phase of migraine: a narrative review. The Journal of Headache and Pain 2023. https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-023-01617-x
- Christensen RH, Eigenbrodt AK, Ashina H, Steiner TJ, Ashina M. What proportion of people with migraine report postdromal symptoms? A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Cephalalgia 2023;43(10). https://doi.org/10.1177/03331024231206376
- Welltory Help Center — Taking measurements with your smartphone camera. https://help.welltory.com/en/articles/4412277-taking-measurements-with-your-smartphone-camera
- Welltory Help Center — How to take accurate heart rate variability measurements. https://help.welltory.com/en/articles/3361520-how-to-take-accurate-heart-rate-variability-measurements
- Welltory Help Center — Data sources and how to connect them. https://help.welltory.com/en/articles/11130907-data-sources-and-how-to-connect-them
- Welltory Help Center — My Patterns (iOS). https://help.welltory.com/en/articles/16012012-my-patterns-ios
- Welltory Help Center — How to export data from Welltory. https://help.welltory.com/en/articles/3368391-how-to-export-data-from-welltory