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Migraine headaches and sleep disturbances in children
V A Miller1, T M Palermo, S W Powers
1Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Insights
Children with migraine headaches frequently experience sleep disturbances like insufficient sleep, bruxism, and snoring. Headache frequency and duration are linked to specific sleep issues, suggesting sleep interventions may help manage migraine symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
- Child Neurology
Background:
- A link between migraine and sleep issues is noted in children and adults.
- Limited research exists on specific headache features and pediatric sleep behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate sleep disturbance prevalence in pediatric migraine patients.
- Describe sleep behavior variations based on headache characteristics (frequency, duration, intensity).
Main Methods:
- 118 children (2-12 years) with headaches evaluated at pediatric neurology clinics.
- Parents completed the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire and headache characteristic questionnaires.
Main Results:
- High prevalence of sleep disturbances reported: insufficient sleep (42%), bruxism (29%), co-sleeping (25%), snoring (23%).
- Migraine patients showed more sleep disturbances than healthy controls.
- Migraine frequency and duration predicted sleep anxiety, parasomnias, and bedtime resistance.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric migraine patients exhibit a high rate of sleep disturbances.
- The bidirectional relationship between headaches and sleep requires further investigation.
- Sleep habit interventions may improve headache symptoms, and headache treatment could positively affect sleep.
Objective:
The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of sleep disturbances in children with migraine headaches and to describe individual differences in sleep behaviors based on headache features (eg, frequency, duration, intensity).
Background:
A relationship between migraine headaches and sleep disturbances has been suggested in both children and adults, but there is a lack of research examining the relationship between specific headache features and the range of sleep behaviors in children.
Methods:
One hundred eighteen children, aged 2 to 12 years (mean, 9.1; standard deviation, 2.3) were evaluated for headaches at two pediatric neurology departments. Parents completed the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire and a standardized questionnaire regarding headache characteristics.
Results:
Parents reported a high rate of sleep disturbances in children, including sleeping too little (42%), bruxism (29%), child co-sleeping with parents (25%), and snoring (23%). Children with migraine headaches experienced more sleep disturbances compared to published healthy control norms. After controlling for child demographics, we found that the frequency and duration of migraine headaches predicted specific sleep disturbances, including sleep anxiety, parasomnias, and bedtime resistance.
Conclusions:
Children with migraine headaches have a high prevalence of sleep disturbances. The direction of the relationship between headaches and sleep is unknown. Regardless, interventions targeting sleep habits may improve headache symptoms, and effective treatment of headaches in children may positively impact sleep.