Poor sleep quality in migraine and probable migraine: a population study

BACKGROUND: Probable migraine (PM) is a subtype of migraine that is prevalent in the general population. Previous studies have shown that poor sleep quality is common among migraineurs and is associated with an exacerbation of migraine symptoms. However, information on the prevalence and clinical implication of poor sleep quality among individuals with PM is scarce. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and clinical impact of poor sleep quality in individuals with PM in comparison with those with migraine. METHODS: Two-stage cluster random sampling was used to perform the survey for sleep and headache in Korean general population. Participants with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index > 5 were considered as having poor sleep quality. RESULTS: Of 2695 participants, 379 (14.1%) had PM and 715 (26.5%) had poor sleep quality. Prevalence of poor sleep quality was 35.4% in the PM group, which was lower than that in the migraine group (47.6%, p = 0.011), but higher than that in the non-headache group (21.4%, p < 0.001). The PM participants with poor sleep quality showed increased headache frequency (median [interquartile range]: 2.0 [0.3–4.0] vs. 1.0 [0.2–2.0]; p = 0.001) and headache intensity (visual analogue scale, 6.0 [4.0–7.0] vs. 5.0 [3.5–6.0]; p = 0.003) compared to PM participants who had no poor sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: Poor sleep quality was prevalent among participants with PM. It was associated with an exacerbation of PM symptoms. Our findings suggest that proper evaluation and treatment for poor sleep quality are needed in the management of PM. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s10194-018-0887-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.