[Night headache: report of 2 cases]

The pathogenesis of hypnic headache is still unknown. Some authors supposed that the genesis of hypnic disorder is a decrease of melatonin secretion. It is a rare, moderately severe headache that occurs in middle-aged or elderly patients and affects both sexes. It appears exclusively during sleep and often with alarm clock regularity. The attack lasts from two to 6 hours, it may be unilateral or diffuse, pulsating or boring, without autonomic system features. Case 1. A 49 year old man reported the history of two week nocturnal headache that awakened him every night from sleep. The headache lasted two hours. There were no autonomic system features. Case 2. A 52 year old man suffered from nocturnal headaches for 6 weeks. The pain occurred between 2 and 5 almost every night and woke the patient. He suffered from diabetes mellitus too. Both patients were treated with flunarizine with good results.