Percentage of REM sleep lower for adults and children with migraine compared with controls; less total sleep time seen for pediatric patients
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 22, 2021 (HealthDay News) — People with migraine report worse subjective sleep quality than healthy individuals, with less rapid eye movement (REM) sleep for adults and children with migraine, according to research published online Sept. 22 in Neurology.
Emily Charlotte Stanyer, from King’s College London, and colleagues reviewed case-controlled studies that measured polysomnography and/or Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores in patients with migraine. Effect sizes (Hedges’ g) were included in a random effects model meta-analysis. Data were included for 32 eligible studies.
The researchers found that compared with healthy controls, adults with migraine had higher PSQI scores (g = 0.75). Those with a chronic versus an episodic condition had a larger effect (g = 1.03 versus 0.63). For polysomnographic studies, the percentage of REM sleep was lower for adults and children with migraine versus controls (g = −0.22 and −0.71). Compared with controls, pediatric patients had less total sleep time (g = −1.37), more wake time (g = 0.52), and shorter sleep-onset latency (g = −0.37).
“The interplay between migraine and sleep is likely to be complex and remains poorly understood,” the authors write. “However, this meta-analysis emphasizes the importance of assessing and treating sleep as an integrated part of migraine treatment.”
Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry; one author disclosed ties to the publishing industry.
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