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Headache diary template free to print

Easing Team
The people who make Easing
3 min read

Short answer

A free one-month headache and migraine diary. Print it from this page or download the PDF (A4 landscape, 2 pages). One row a day, with columns for start and end time, a 0 to 10 pain score, symptoms, medicine and dose, your period and possible triggers. The columns follow what the National Migraine Centre and The Migraine Trust ask you to record.

The printable headache diary sheet and the top of an Easing PDF report laid on a dark plum background, with a coral streak.
In this post
  1. How to fill it in
  2. What a paper diary can't do
  3. Where the columns come from
  4. Is there an NHS headache diary template?
  5. Prefer your phone?
  6. Questions people ask

Download the PDF (A4 landscape, 2 pages)

Headache diary

Name: ______________________Month: ______________Pain score: 0 = no pain, 10 = worst pain imaginable

Date and dayTime it startedTime it endedPain score (0 to 10)Symptoms (sick, light or sound, aura)Medicine, dose and time takenPeriod? (if relevant)Possible triggers and notes
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Fill in every day, including days with no headache (write 0). Take it to your GP or headache clinic.

How to fill it in

  1. One row a day. Write the date and day. On a day without a headache, put 0 in the pain column.
  2. Times. When it started and when it ended. Roughly is fine.
  3. Pain score. 0 is no pain, 10 is the worst you can imagine. Same scale every time.
  4. Symptoms. Feeling or being sick, light or sound bothering you, aura.
  5. Medicine. Every medicine, the dose and the time. A second dose gets written again.
  6. Period. Tick the days, if that's relevant to you.
  7. Possible triggers and notes. Anything you think might be related. You don't need to be sure.

Two headaches in a day? Use a spare row at the bottom.

What a paper diary can't do

It won't time a headache for you, add up your medicine days or make a summary. You do that by hand before the appointment: count the headache days, the days you took medicine, and the worst scores. If that sounds like a chore, a migraine diary app does it for you.

Where the columns come from

The National Migraine Centre asks you to record every migraine or other headache for a month by date and day of the week, with the start time, a 0 to 10 pain score, all medication and the times you took it, and other comments such as when your period is happening. The Migraine Trust suggests the date and day, how long the attack lasted, how bad it was, other symptoms, medication including a second dose, and anything else that may help. This migraine diary template covers both lists.

Is there an NHS headache diary template?

Not on the NHS headache or migraine pages. The NHS headaches page says keeping a headache diary might help you work out what triggers your headaches, and points to The Migraine Trust for what to record. The Migraine Trust and the National Migraine Centre both publish their own templates. If your clinic has asked you to use its form, use that one.

More in how to keep a headache diary.

Prefer your phone?

Easing records the same columns on iPhone: start and end, pain level, where it hurts, symptoms, medication and possible triggers, with your period from Apple Health if you allow it. It makes the PDF for you. It's coming soon to the App Store, so until then, this sheet does the job.

The top of an Easing PDF report: Migraine history, self-reported data prepared to support a clinical conversation, with the reporting window.
The top of the PDF Easing makes from your entries.

Questions people ask

Is there an NHS headache diary template?

The NHS headache and migraine pages suggest keeping a diary and point to The Migraine Trust for what to record. The Migraine Trust and the National Migraine Centre both offer templates. If your clinic gave you a form, use theirs.

Is this headache diary PDF free?

Yes. Print it from this page or download the PDF. No sign-up, no email.

How long should I fill it in?

The National Migraine Centre asks for every migraine or other headache for a month, or as long as you can before your appointment. Your doctor may ask for something different.

What if I get two headaches in one day?

Use a spare row at the bottom of the sheet, or the notes column. Write each medicine down again every time you take it.

Can I fill it in on my phone?

The PDF is made for printing. The National Migraine Centre has an interactive diary you can fill in on a computer. Easing, a headache diary app for iPhone, is coming soon to the App Store.

Sources: National Migraine Centre: headache diary; The Migraine Trust: keeping a headache diary; NHS: headaches. All checked 29 October 2026.

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