[The relationship between headache and sleep disorders: findings from an epidemiological study in a population of Spanish school-age children].

INTRODUCTION

Headache and sleep disorders have a high impact in children, both from the point of view of prevalence and from the perspective of the quality of life of the subjects who suffer their consequences. AIM. To determine the prevalence of sleep disorders among the child population that suffers from headaches.

SUBJECTS AND

METHODS

The Spanish version of the Paediatric Sleep Questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of the child and teenage population that attend the different schools in the town of Gandia. This questionnaire includes two questions about the existence of headache.

RESULTS

In all, 887 subjects answered the survey (68% of respondents). The sleep disorders that are clearly associated with headache are: rhythmic movement disorders, sleep-talking, nightmares, waking up more than twice during the night, unwillingness to go to bed, early waking, delayed onset of sleep, insomnia, irregular hours of going to bed and getting up, excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring and positive screening for apnea-hypopnea syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS

It is shown that the population with headaches has a greater number of sleep disorders, mainly insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness and parasomnias. It is important to gather information about sleep habits in any child who is attended because of headache.