Relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and morning headache

Background:Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common disorder in the general population. Several studies have suggested that headaches, particularly morning headaches, are more common in patients with OSAS than in normal subjects. Objective:This study investigates whether exist correlation between morning headache and polysomnographic sleep parameters. Methods:This is a cross sectional study of 150 consecutive patients with OSA who underwent sleep polysomnography. Patients were interviewed about their headache history . Insomnia and subjective sleepiness was assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Polysomnographic recordings were compared in patients with and without morning headache. Findings: Headache and non-headache patients did not differ in the Respiratory Disturbance Index, either in Mean nocturnal SaO2 or sleep efficiency (P>0.05). The headache patients were more likely to be female and spend a lower time in sleep. Insomnia was a common complaint in patients being evaluated for obstructive sleep apnea. No significant association emerged between the Excessive Daytime Sleepiness with headache (P>0.05). Conclusion: Thus, nocturnal hypoxia is less likely to explain the high headache prevalence among patients admitted for polysomnography.