Table 3.

Relationship between sleep and headache in children and adolescents.

1. Sleep could be a trigger factor for headache (excessive, reduced, or disrupted)

2. Sleep is often used by the patient to relieve headache

3. Bad sleep hygiene can worsen a pre-existing headache

4. Headache can be related to specific sleep stages (REM or SWS)

5. Headache occurs mostly during sleep or just after sleep; the association between headache and sleep is mediated by the same neurotransmitters (serotonin/dopamine)

6. Sleep disorders are often present in headache patients (restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movements during sleep, parasomnias, sleep-disordered breathing, narcolepsy)

REM, Rapid Eye Movement; SWS, Slow Wave Sleep.