Impact of Migraines on Sleep Quality

Prevalence of Migraines

Migraines rank as the third most common illness globally, affecting approximately one billion individuals annually. In the United States alone, migraines lead to the loss of over 157 million workdays each year. This debilitating condition impacts men, women, and children alike, yet many individuals suffering from migraines do not pursue treatment.

Measuring Sleep Quality

Research indicates that individuals with migraines frequently experience sleep disturbances. Although there is a recognized link between sleep issues and migraines, extensive research on this relationship remains limited. Due to the subjective nature of sleep disturbances, doctors have developed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to evaluate sleep quality. This questionnaire includes a range of questions assessing various aspects of sleep quality and incorporates feedback from patients’ partners, resulting in a reliable measure of subjective sleep quality. For a more precise assessment of sleep disturbances, polysomnographic (PSG) studies are utilized, which involve the simultaneous recording of multiple sleep-related parameters.

Assessing Sleep Abnormalities

While PSG studies are considered the gold standard for identifying sleep abnormalities, the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire serves a different purpose. It helps healthcare providers understand how migraine pain impacts daily life by evaluating the number of days with pain over the past three months and the extent to which this pain interferes with normal activities.

Recent Research Findings

Meta-Analysis Overview

Researchers from King’s College London conducted a meta-analysis examining the differences in PSQI and PSG scores between individuals with and without migraines. They also explored potential correlations between PSQI and MIDAS scores. This analysis included 32 studies with a total of 10,243 participants, and the findings were published in the journal, Neurology.

Key Results

The study revealed that adults with migraines exhibited worse PSQI scores compared to those without migraines, with individuals suffering from chronic migraines showing even higher scores. Additionally, both adults and children with migraines experienced reduced REM sleep as per the PSG studies. Children with migraines had shorter total sleep times and took longer to fall asleep compared to their peers without migraines. However, no significant correlation was found between PSQI and MIDAS scores.

Recommendations for Future Research

Given the apparent connection between sleep quality and migraines, the authors of the study advocate for incorporating sleep interventions into migraine treatment programs. They also caution migraine sufferers against using medications that could disrupt sleep. The identified relationship between REM sleep and migraines necessitates further investigation. The authors suggest that additional large-scale studies utilizing PSG should be conducted to enhance the understanding of this complex relationship.

References

1. Migraine Research Foundation. Migraine Facts – Migraine Research Foundation. Published 2015. Accessed September 27, 2021. https://migraineresearchfoundation.org/about-migraine/migraine-facts/
2. Stanyer EC, Creeney H, Nesbitt AD, Robert Holland PR, Hoffmann J. Subjective sleep quality and sleep architecture in patients with migraine: A meta-analysis. Neurology. Published online September 22, 2021:10.1212/WNL.0000000000012701. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000012701
3. Shahid A, Wilkinson K, Marcu S, Shapiro CM. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). STOP, THAT and one hundred other sleep scales. Published online 2011:279-283. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-9893-4_67
4. Armon C, Gardner-Johnson K, Roy A, Nowack WJ. Polysomnography: Overview, parameters monitored, staging of sleep. eMedicine. Published online on December 5, 2020. Accessed September 27, 2021. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1188764-overview
5. What Is the MIDAS Test? | Migraine.com. Published 2020. Accessed September 27, 2021. https://migraine.com/pro/midas