Relationship between sleep disorders and headache in adolescents

Introduction: Headache is a frequent neurological complaint among adolescents, reducing quality of life in this age group. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of headache, its characteristics and association with sleep disorders in adolescents from the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort. Methods: Data from the perinatal and 15-year-old follow-up of the 2004 Birth Cohort were used to define the occurrence of headache and its characteristics (intensity, location and type). Sleep disorders were used as exposure and referred to frequency in the month prior to the interview, including: long sleep latency, insomnia and nightmares. Statistical analysis was performed calculating crude and adjusted prevalence ratios to assess the relationship between sleep disorders and headache. Results: The occurrence of headache was reported by 51.7% of the adolescents. More than a third of them reported severe or disabling pain. More than two thirds of adolescents with long sleep latency or insomnia classified their sleep as bad or very bad, and 64.6% of these reported headache. Adolescents with long sleep latency or insomnia ≥3 times/ week were 42% more likely to have headache than those who didn’t report difficulty falling asleep. Among adolescents who rated their sleep as bad and very bad, the probability of headache was 33% higher compared to those who rated sleep as very good. Conclusion: The prevalence of headache is high in adolescents and it’s associated with sleep disorders. Thus, sleep hygiene measures and clinical evaluation are essential to identify and treat these comorbidities, ensuring improvement of headache.