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Polysomnography

Does Migraine Affect Sleep in Children and Adolescents?

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We often discuss the links between sleep and migraine here. But studies are mostly focused on adults – what about children and adolescents?

A recent study published in the Journal of Medicine and Life has confirmed what we already suspected – there is a strong link between sleep problems and migraine.

Children and sleep - how well are they sleeping?

In this small study, researchers chose 18 patients with migraine, and a control group of 16. Each patient was evaluated and underwent a sleep test. So this is a general sleep test, not a test to see how well patients slept when they were actually having a migraine attack. So the question is, how well do migraine patients sleep during a regular night?

In this study, researchers found that children and teens with migraine did tend to have less deep sleep and more light sleep. They had more “arousals” during the night. And it took them longer to fall asleep.

These indicators could be a sign of a sleep disorder. And researchers did note that the numbers were more likely to indicate sleep disorders in the children with migraine.

Studying migraine in children is an extremely complex issue. It can have very different symptoms in children compared to adults, and those symptoms can change quickly. Because this is a time of growth and development, diagnosis and treatment can be challenging, but it is also all the more important. Both migraine and sleep disorders can have a major impact on normal growth and learning.

Parents and doctors need to pay special attention not only to “headaches”, but to other symptoms, and to sleep and sleepiness during the day. Diagnosing a sleep disorder can be a major step forward in treating migraine early. And although this was a small preliminary study, it does confirm what other studies are telling us, and hopefully will lead to a quicker diagnosis of sleep problems in children who are experiencing migraine symptoms (which often include stomach pain and nausea in children).

Read a summary of the findings of this study here: Researchers Investigate Relationship Between Sleep Disorders, Migraine in Children

Full study: The Role of Polysomnography in Identifying Sleep Disorders in Children with Migraine

This Key Sleep Question Could Lead to Better Treatment for Headache Disorders

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Headache, migraine and sleep – we’ve known for a long time that these things are connected.  Changes in sleep patterns can trigger migraine attacks (this may be one of the reasons you get “weekend headache“).

Koala Sleep

But there is a key indicator which could put you on the road to better treatment.

The question is:  When you woke up this morning, did you feel refreshed?

In fact, do you generally feel refreshed when you wake up in the morning?

Well, you should.  But if you have chronic migraine, you probably don’t.

A study at the University of North Carolina set out to see how women with chronic migraine felt in the mornings.  87.7% said they felt “tired”.  And – get this – 0% – not one – reported feeling “refreshed”.

Of course there are a lot of disorders related to “un-refreshed” sleep, such as ADHD, fibromyalgia, restless leg syndrome, snoring – some of these things may cause it, some may be made worse by it.  One study found that feeling refreshed by sleep was an important predictor of psychological well-being (mental health) in men.  No doubt it’s the same for women.

For more on sleep and migraine, check out Migraine – Wakeful Nights and Sleepy Days?

So if you’re not feeling refreshed, what does that mean?

First, it could mean you have another disorder that is keeping you from getting good sleep, and therefore making your migraine and/or headache symptoms worse.  For example, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or grinding your teeth.  Taking too many “painkillers” could also interrupt your normal patterns of work and rest.

It could also be that you simply have bad sleep habits.  You watch spend time on your tablet watching movies in bed.  You drink too much coffee late in the day.  You’re not letting go of the stresses and concerns of the day, but working through them at all hours.  You consistently go to bed late.

If you’re feeling tired in the morning – I don’t just mean groggy, but you wake up un-refreshed and tired – you should talk to your doctor.

And no, taking sleeping pills for the rest of your life is not the answer.  Your doctor will try to find out if there are other symptoms or conditions that are keeping you from sleep.  There are excellent questionnaires and simple tests that will point her in the right direction, and if need be she can call for a sleep test (polysomnography).

She can also help you with behavioural sleep modification (BSM), which will help you learn how to get more quality sleep.

In fact, in a follow-up to the first study we talked about, patients who received BSM did tend to improve.  In fact, almost half of those who had chronic migraine only had episodic migraine after 6 weeks.

That’s a major step in the right direction.

A lack of sleep isn’t just making your headaches worse.  It can impact every area of life.  If you’re not feeling refreshed in the morning, it could be a major clue that gets you on track to some important treatments.

My Polysomnography – Sleep Study (podcast)

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This is a less technical and more personal podcast about my own experience at a sleep clinic.  I went for a sleep study (technically called a Polysomnography or PSG)  and recorded my impressions from before the study until after I had received the results.  Hopefully this will be a help to anyone considering having the study done.

For a text summary of what the sleep study is about, try the Mayo Clinic articles: Polysomnography (sleep study), or quick summary at UKHealthCentre with links to UK sleep clinics.  Also, a summary from a clinic in Australia specializing in PSGs for children.

And now, the podcast:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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The articles on Headache and Migraine News are © 2004-2024 J. Cottrill.
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