The relationship between headaches and sleep is a complicated one. At least five possible relationships have been described in the literature.
First, certain primary headache disorders such as migraine and cluster headache tend to develop during sleep, and hypnic headache occurs only during sleep. Normal adult sleep consists of a cycle, each lasting about 90 minutes, containing brief periods of rapid eye movement sleep during which migraine, cluster and hypnic headache usually begin. A part of the brain important for sleep called the hypothalamus could be involved in some headaches. Cluster and hypnic headaches are inherently linked to sleep.
Second, sleep is recognised as being helpful in terminating migraine headache. As many as 50% of migraine sufferers report that sleep disturbances contributed to their headaches. Another important finding is that those who slept only six hours a night on average had more frequent and more severe headaches than those who slept longer. Deprivation of sleep can cause headaches.
Third, too much sleep can trigger headaches, particularly migraines and tension-type headaches. ‘Sleeping in” in the morning can often trigger migraine headache. To avoid one cause of ‘weekend migraine,” susceptible patients should make sure that they wake up and get out of bed at their regular weekend time.
Fourth, irregular sleep patterns may trigger headaches in some and changes in sleep patterns may trigger migraines in some.
Fifth, sleep disorders and headaches are linked. Sleep disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia and circadian rhythm disorder are disproportionately observed in people with headache diagnoses, including migraines and tension-type headaches. Modifying one’s sleeping habits can potentially help an individual to better manage his headaches. Useful tips include having a regular sleep schedule and eliminating TV in bed.
