--- title: Vintage Remedies for Falling Asleep With a Headache description: A lost photo shoot from LIFE Magazine appears to demonstrate remedies for the insomniac with a pounding head. canonical: https://time.com/3957105/vintage-headache-remedies/ author: Eliza Berman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-20T12:00:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:02:30.408Z og:title: These Mysterious Photos Might Solve Your Headache Problem og:description: A lost photo shoot from LIFE Magazine appears to demonstrate remedies for the insomniac with a pounding head. og:url: https://time.com/3957105/vintage-headache-remedies/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7e666a7e5eafb5dd/69885abfcd1bba591f6fc41f/150714-sleeping-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2100 og:image:height: 1181 og:image:alt: Vintage Sleep Story og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: These Mysterious Photos Might Solve Your Headache Problem twitter:description: A lost photo shoot from LIFE Magazine appears to demonstrate remedies for the insomniac with a pounding head. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7e666a7e5eafb5dd/69885abfcd1bba591f6fc41f/150714-sleeping-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # These Mysterious Photos Might Just Solve Your Headache Problem > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription.  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Jul 20, 2015 12:00 PM UTC  The classic conch shell trick. The classic conch shell trick. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Jul 20, 2015 12:00 PM UTC Taking a [bath](http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/133/8/2489) with electric eels. Putting a dead [mole](http://mentalfloss.com/article/52689/5-bizarre-and-scary-historical-headache-cures) on your head. Drilling [holes](http://scienceblogs.com/neurophilosophy/2008/01/24/an-illustrated-history-of-trep/) in the side of your skull. There is a long and storied history to the headache remedy, which (thankfully) has come a long way over the course of a few centuries. But even in modern times, those averse to popping pills are always looking for alternative antidotes and wondering just which household objects might allow them to drift painlessly into a good night’s sleep. LIFE photographer Nina Leen appeared to have the same question when she took a series of beautiful black and white photographs of a model attempting to soothe what looks to be a headache and a bout of insomnia. The photos, never published and left with little accompanying data, document some measures, such as rubbing ice cubes on temples, which are neither strange nor stupefying. Others, however — like staring menacingly at a pair of scissors, lying with feet overhead and resting with a gigantic conch shell casting a shadow on her face — are rather baffling to the modern onlooker. Fortunately for LIFE’s guinea pig, she eventually fell sound asleep — or at least managed to look the part. _Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter_ [_@lizabethronk_](https://twitter.com/LizabethRonk)_._  The classic conch shell trick. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Reading makes the eyes tired, but does little for a headache. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  When sleep will not come. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A dab of eau de toilette behind the ears might soothe an aching head. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Comfortable nightwear gets the mind ready for sleep. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  The verdict is still out on the health benefits of hanging upside down. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  The benefits of staring wistfully into the distance remain unproven. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Holding sharp objects when past your breaking point may be ill advised. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Ice cubes on the temples may offer temporary numbness. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mission accomplished: the beginning of a good night's rest. 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