Sleep Patterns Changes Depending on Headache Subtype and Covariates of Primary Headache Disorders

Abstract

Headache is one of the most common and bothersome problems in neurology practice. The frequency of headache has been substantially increased over the last 30 years due to changes in lifestyle. Controlling the trigger factors and lifestyle changes (e.g. regular sleep, meal time, exercise, etc.) are the first step management strategies in headaches. Sleep and headache have bidirectional effects on each other. While diminished and poor quality of sleep can be a trigger factor for headache (e.g. migraine and tension-type headache (TTH)), some types of headache like hypnic headache and cluster-type headache mainly occur during sleep. Patients with headache may have poor sleep quality, reduced total sleep time, more awakenings, and alterations in architecture of sleep recorded by polysomnography. Progression to chronic forms of headache may also be associated with the duration and quality of sleep. Even though pathophysiology of headache and sleep disorders shares the same brain structures and pathways, sleep disturbances are commonly underestimated and underdiagnosed in headache patients. Clinicians should consider and behold the treatment of accompanying sleep complaints for an effective management of headache.