Chronic migraine means you have headaches at least 15 days a month for more than 3 months. On at least 8 of those days, your headaches have characteristics of migraines, like nausea or sensitivity to light. You'll likely need medications to prevent and treat them. But healthy lifestyle habits are also an important part of migraine care.

Too much headache medicine can have a boomerang effect. If you take meds to relieve headache pain more than 2-3 days a week, you're at risk of medication overuse headaches. If you find yourself reaching for pills more and more often, get help before you get caught in this cycle. Your doctor can help wean you off the medications that are causing the problem and start you with a fresh treatment plan.

Good sleep hygiene, also called stimulus control therapy, helps keep migraine under control. Check all these boxes every night:

• Keep wake and sleep times the same, even on weekends.
• Turn off screens an hour before bed.
• Do relaxation exercises.
• Make your bedroom dark and cold (about 65 degrees).
• Get out of bed if you can’t fall asleep.

 Also, skip naps. And get help for sleep disorders like sleep apnea or insomnia.

Exercise helps your head as well as your heart. That's because it brings a surge of beta-endorphins, feel-good hormones that are in short supply in people with migraine. Start slowly, perhaps by walking for 10 minutes or so. Try to build up to three to five times a week, 30-60 minutes a day. (You can break this up into shorter blocks of time). Give it at least 6 weeks to see if exercise helps.

Eat balanced meals and snacks at the same times each day -- no skipping. Start with breakfast 30-60 minutes after you wake. While there’s no "migraine diet," ask your doctor if you should try an elimination diet. If you have celiac disease, cutting out gluten can reduce migraines by half or more. Some people may benefit from avoiding salt, fat, or tyramine (a substance found in aged cheeses, cured meats, and beer).

Use a migraine diary to look for patterns and review with your doctor. A color-code system makes it easier:

• Red for the worst days
• Yellow: Pain that limits activities
• Green: You have a headache but can keep your usual schedule
• White: No headache 

Track how long migraines last, what meds you took, and if they worked. Prefer an app? The National Headache Foundation suggests BonTriage, Migraine Buddy, Migraine Monitor, or N1-Headache.

Stress can trigger or worsen a migraine or even keep rescue medicines from working. Manage it with proven techniques like relaxation training, biofeedback, mindfulness, or cognitive behavior therapy. And swear off multitasking. Not only does it stress you out, but trying to do too many things at once actually makes you less productive.

Dehydration and migraine are linked. And even if you drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (64 ounces), it may not be enough. One small study found that 2.5 liters, or 84 ounces, might be a better daily target for people with migraine. That's 10½ 8-ounce glasses. Another study pegged the number at 4 liters, or 16 glasses a day.

The link between coffee and migraine varies from person to person. Some do better without any caffeine. It can affect how well their rescue medicine works. Others are fine with a two-cups-a-day limit. Track how caffeine affects you in your migraine diary. If you love your cup of joe, it's key to keep your daily intake steady. Too little can prompt a withdrawal headache.

Research shows that people who get migraines have more neck problems than others. So good posture is especially important. Keep hips and shoulders in line when you sit. If you spend lots of time at a computer, have your screen at or slightly below eye level. Take frequent breaks to get up, walk, and stretch. Even short bouts of activity can ease tension and help strengthen the core muscles that help with posture.

If you’re overweight, you have a higher chance of chronic migraine. Dropping extra pounds could help you conquer those headaches. Ask your doctor about the Mediterranean diet. It emphasizes veggies, fruits, nuts, and whole grains and limits sweets, red meat, and dairy. It includes fatty fish, which contains omega-3 fatty acids that have been shown to help prevent migraine.