Nighttime Primary Headaches in Children: Beyond Hypnic Headache, a Comprehensive Review
Beatrice Baldo,
Ilaria Bonemazzi,
Antonella Morea,
Roberta Rossi,
Alessandro Ferretti,
Vittorio Sciruicchio,
Alessia Raffagnato,
Vincenzo Raieli,
Antonia Versace,
Irene Toldo
Affiliations
Beatrice Baldo
Juvenile Headache Center, Department of Woman’s and Child’s Health, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy
Ilaria Bonemazzi
Juvenile Headache Center, Department of Woman’s and Child’s Health, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy
Antonella Morea
Children Epilepsy and EEG Center, San Paolo Hospital, ASL Bari, 70132 Bari, Italy
Roberta Rossi
Pediatric Headache Center, Department of Pediatric Emergency, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy
Alessandro Ferretti
Pediatrics Unit, Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sense Organs (NESMOS) Department, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00198 Rome, Italy
Vittorio Sciruicchio
Children Epilepsy and EEG Center, San Paolo Hospital, ASL Bari, 70132 Bari, Italy
Alessia Raffagnato
Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatric Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy
Vincenzo Raieli
Child Neuropsychiatry Department, Istituto Mediterraneo di Eccellenza Pediatrica-Azienda Ospedaliera di Rilievo Nazionale e di Alta Specializzazione “Civico Di Cristina e Benfratelli” (ISMEP-ARNAS Civico Palermo), 90100 Palermo, Italy
Antonia Versace
Pediatric Headache Center, Department of Pediatric Emergency, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy
Irene Toldo
Juvenile Headache Center, Department of Woman’s and Child’s Health, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy
Many headaches at night arise due to primary headache disorders, which occur independently of other symptoms and are not caused by another medical condition. Primary headache disorders with nighttime attacks can include tension-type headaches, migraines, hypnic headaches, and cluster headaches. A hypnic headache is sometimes called an “alarm clock headache” because symptoms tend to arise at the same time of night. Apart from considering primary headaches, secondary causes of nighttime headaches should be considered and ruled out, in particular headaches secondary to intracranial hypertension, temporomandibular joint issues (like bruxism) and sleep apnea. Treatments vary based on headache type but often include a combination of medications and prevention strategies. This review article covers the basics of nighttime primary headaches in children, including pathophysiology, etiology, clinical features of the different forms and their treatment. It will also discuss the differences in headache features between children and adults.
