Sleep and Tension-Type Headache

Tension-type headache (TTH) is a common neurological condition that is related to sleep dysfunction. This review discusses recent evidence for the association between TTH and sleep disturbances.

There is an increasing evidence for the association of TTH with sleep disturbances including insomnia, poor sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, insufficient sleep, and shift working. Most studies have reported that sleep disturbances are more prevalent among subjects with TTH than among subjects without headaches. Clinical presentations of TTH are more exacerbated in TTH subjects with sleep disturbances than in those without sleep disturbances. Further, the close association of TTH with sleep disturbances is more robust in subjects with chronic TTH than in those with episodic TTH. Growing evidence highlights the association of TTH with psychiatric comorbidity, which is closely associated with sleep disturbances. Recent advances in our understanding of the association between sleep and TTH will help in improved diagnosis and treatment of TTH and sleep disturbances.