Pediatric Migraine/Headache and Sleep Disturbances

Assessment and treatment of sleep problems in pediatric patients with chronic headache is important, with several contextual and headache diagnostic factors influencing the severity of sleep disturbance, according to a recent retrospective chart review. Researchers evaluated 527 patients, aged 7-17 years, with a primary headache diagnosis of migraine (n=278), tension-type headache (TTH; n=157), and new daily persistent-headache (NDPH; n=92). Patients completed measures of disability, anxiety, and depression and their parents completed measures of sleep disturbance. They found:

• Sleep disturbance was greater in patients with TTH (10.34 ± 5.94) and NDPH (11.52 ± 6.40) than migraine (8.31 ± 5.89).
• Across patient groups, greater sleep disturbance was significantly associated with higher levels of functional disability, anxiety, and depression.
• Additionally, higher pain levels were significantly associated with greater sleep disturbance among TTH patients, with this association non-significant among the other headache groups.
• When simultaneously examining demographic, pain-related, and emotional distress factors, older age, higher levels of disability and depression, and NDPH diagnosis were all significant predictors of greater sleep disturbance.

Pediatric headache and sleep disturbance: A comparison of diagnostic groups. Headache. 2018;58(2):217-228. doi:10.1111/head.13207.

Assessment and treatment of sleep problems in pediatric patients with chronic headache is important, with several contextual and headache diagnostic factors influencing the severity of sleep disturbance, according to a recent retrospective chart review. Researchers evaluated 527 patients, aged 7-17 years, with a primary headache diagnosis of migraine (n=278), tension-type headache (TTH; n=157), and new daily persistent-headache (NDPH; n=92). Patients completed measures of disability, anxiety, and depression and their parents completed measures of sleep disturbance. They found:

• Sleep disturbance was greater in patients with TTH (10.34 ± 5.94) and NDPH (11.52 ± 6.40) than migraine (8.31 ± 5.89).
• Across patient groups, greater sleep disturbance was significantly associated with higher levels of functional disability, anxiety, and depression.
• Additionally, higher pain levels were significantly associated with greater sleep disturbance among TTH patients, with this association non-significant among the other headache groups.
• When simultaneously examining demographic, pain-related, and emotional distress factors, older age, higher levels of disability and depression, and NDPH diagnosis were all significant predictors of greater sleep disturbance.

Pediatric headache and sleep disturbance: A comparison of diagnostic groups. Headache. 2018;58(2):217-228. doi:10.1111/head.13207.

Assessment and treatment of sleep problems in pediatric patients with chronic headache is important, with several contextual and headache diagnostic factors influencing the severity of sleep disturbance, according to a recent retrospective chart review. Researchers evaluated 527 patients, aged 7-17 years, with a primary headache diagnosis of migraine (n=278), tension-type headache (TTH; n=157), and new daily persistent-headache (NDPH; n=92). Patients completed measures of disability, anxiety, and depression and their parents completed measures of sleep disturbance. They found:

• Sleep disturbance was greater in patients with TTH (10.34 ± 5.94) and NDPH (11.52 ± 6.40) than migraine (8.31 ± 5.89).
• Across patient groups, greater sleep disturbance was significantly associated with higher levels of functional disability, anxiety, and depression.
• Additionally, higher pain levels were significantly associated with greater sleep disturbance among TTH patients, with this association non-significant among the other headache groups.
• When simultaneously examining demographic, pain-related, and emotional distress factors, older age, higher levels of disability and depression, and NDPH diagnosis were all significant predictors of greater sleep disturbance.

Pediatric headache and sleep disturbance: A comparison of diagnostic groups. Headache. 2018;58(2):217-228. doi:10.1111/head.13207.