know your trigger
By Jennifer L . W . Fink
How Sleep Disorders Impact Headache
Sleep complications could trigger headache attacks during or following a night ’ s rest .
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SLEEP IS NATURE ’ S WAY of treating almost any headache disorder ,” Roger Cady , MD , said in a recent National Headache Foundation chat room .
But what happens to that headache disorder when sleep is disrupted by insomnia , fidgety legs or difficulty breathing ?
Just as painful headaches can keep a person awake at night , a lack of sleep or disrupted sleep can trigger headaches . To achieve better sleep and decrease associated headaches , it is important to first understand the underlying sleep disorders that could be triggering your headaches .
4 SLEEP DISORDERS THAT TRIGGER HEADACHE
Research shows that many common sleep disorders are associated with headaches :
• INSOMNIA is considered a risk factor for tension-type headache . Research suggests this is also a bidirectional phenomenon : the pain of a tension-type headache or the use of sleep at odd hours to relieve a headache could keep sufferers from sleep at nighttime ; conversely , that inability to sleep at regular intervals could lead to new headaches .
• PARASOMNIAS , characterized by events during sleep that do not disrupt sleep ( e . g ., snoring , sleep-walking and sleep-talking ), are more common among children with migraine and headache than children who do not experience headache . This connection has been observed , though researchers have not yet studied the reasoning behind this connection .
• RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME , characterized by a crawling or fidgety sensation in the legs during rest , is more prevalent among migraineurs . Researchers have proposed a number of theories for this connection , blaming the relationship on iron deficiency or comorbidity with depression , among other aggravating factors .
• OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA involves the collapse and obstruction of airways during sleep . People with sleep apnea frequently complain of morning headaches and , rarely , of headaches during sleep . But research suggests the condition could also trigger cluster headache ; chronic paroxysmal hemicrania , a severe , frequent , onesided headache and hypnic headache , a regular headache that may awaken the sufferer from sleep and generally affects elderly people .
For people with sleep disorders and headache , treating the underlying sleep disorder could help improve an associated headache condition . HW
5 TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP
1 . Schedule eight hours in bed every night and commit to a regular bedtime .
2 . Turn off devices at least one hour before bed . 3 . Avoid eating within four hours of bedtime . 4 . Don ’ t sleep in . 5 . Treat sleep disorders .
1 . Mitsikostas et al . “ Sleep and Headache : The Clinical Relationship .” Headache . 2010 ; 50 ( 7 ): 1233-1245 .
12 HEAD WISE | Volume 2 , Issue 4 • 2012