title: Sleep, sleepiness, and behavior problems in children with headache.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess sleep, daytime sleepiness, and behavior problems in children suffering from headaches and in controls, with a special focus on the role of gender. A clinical group of 28 children with persistent headache complaints and a control group of 108 healthy children were included. Sleep was assessed by actigraphy and diaries. Behavior problems were assessed by parental reports. In comparison with the control group, the sleep quality of the clinical group was poorer and they complained more about excessive daytime sleepiness. Children suffering from headache showed higher levels of internalizing behavior problems. Gender was found to be a moderating factor for the relationships between headache and sleep. Compared with control girls, girls suffering from headaches had poorer sleep quality, whereas the opposite was true for the boys. The results highlight the importance of assessing sleep, daytime sleepiness, and psychologic adjustment in children complaining about headaches as an integral part of their routine assessment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Cendrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bursztein
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sadeh
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology