Nicolas Tulp has been credited for describing CH in 1641 [11]. CH is classified under the spectrum of disorders called trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs). CH is characterized by the core features of unilateral, severe excruciating head pain occurring in clusters (1–8 episodes per day), lasting from 15 to 180 min, with accompanying features of autonomic dysfunction (e.g., conjunctival injection, lacrimation, ptosis, miosis, nasal congestion, and rhinorrhea) [5]. Russel et al. found a preponderance of attacks beginning during sleep and the majority of daytime attacks began when patients were physically relaxed [12]. CH attacks have been shown to occur during REM sleep or within 9 min of REM termination [6, 13]. It has been reported in several studies that the patients with CH have a higher prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) [13–17]. Nocturnal hypoxia related to OSA could be a trigger for the CH [14]. A role of hypothalamus in this correlation has also been proposed, as noted by the improvement in sleep architecture in patients treated with deep brain stimulator for chronic CH [18].

Insufficient sleep, oversleeping, and sleep disorders have been implicated as precipitating and aggravating factors for TTH [27–29]. Results from the third Nord-Trøndelag Health Survey indicated that subjects with chronic headache were 17 times more likely to have severe sleep disturbances and the association was somewhat stronger for chronic migraine than for chronic TTH [19].

In a cross-sectional study from Norway, the authors reported that the presence and severity of sleep apnea seem not to influence presence and attack frequency of TTH in the general population [20].

Raskin in 1988 described a case series of six elderly patients having headaches exclusively in sleep [21] . The criteria for diagnosis of HH were proposed in 1997 by Goadsby et al. [22]. The headache should occur at least 15 times per month for at least 1 month, awaken the patient from sleep, lasting for 5–60 min, the pain being generalized or bilateral and not associated with autonomic features. They proposed that HH should be added to the international headache society classifications under miscellaneous headaches [22]. Later in year 2004, the HH was classified under International Classification of Headache Disorders-II (ICHD II), in the category of “other primary headache.” The diagnostic criteria state that the headache is dull, occurs after age of 50 years, develops only during sleep, and awakens the patient .

The frequency of RLS in migraine patients in pediatric age group was significantly higher than in controls (22 vs. 5 % ( p< 0.001) [26]. A strong association between migraine and RLS is reported in the women with migraine with and without aura [27]. Rhode et al., in a case-control study of patients with migraine, found a significantly higher lifetime prevalence of RLS than the control group [28]. Similar correlation has been reported by d’Onofrio et al. [29] and by Chen et al. [30]. The underlying pathophysiology has been linked to the dysfunction of dopaminergic metabolism in migraine [28, 31].

A higher incidence of several parasomnias, e.g., bruxism, sleepwalking, sleep talking, and night terrors, has been found in children with migraine [32].

There has been controversial correlation between migraine and narcolepsy. In two different studies, Dahmen et al. reported two to fourfold increase in the migraine prevalence in patients with narcolepsy [33, 34]. These results were challenged by a multicenter case-control study which concluded that there is no association between migraine and narcolepsy but that patients with narcolepsy show more unspecific headache, probably due to sleep disturbances [35].

Sevillano-García et al. reported insomnia in 37.42 % of their patients [36]. In a survey by Lateef et al., adults with migraine reported more frequent difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty staying asleep, early-morning awakening, and daytime fatigue when compared to the individuals without headache [37]. In another survey in Hong Kong Chinese women with different headache diagnoses, the prevalence of insomnia symptoms was reported as problem waking up too early in 29.4 %, difficulty staying asleep in 28.0 %, and difficulty falling asleep in 24.4 % [38].

EDS has been reported in patients with migraine . The exact mechanism is unknown. Peres et al. reported EDS in patients with migraine. Epworth sleepiness scale(ESS) score ≥ 10 was in 37 % of patients and ESS of ≥ 15 in 10 % of patients [39]. In a case-control study, EDS was more frequent in migraineurs than in controls (14 vs. 5 %) [40].

In summary, there is a broad spectrum of relationships between migraine and sleep. While the above observations are important, a full range of this relationship still needs to be defined. Further research can possibly explain common pathphysiological pathways between these two entities.

According to the ICHD II, sleep apnea headache [10.1.3] has been classified under secondary headaches—headache attributed to disorder of homeostasis . The diagnostic criteria include—a recurrent headache with at least one of the following—headache occurring on more than 15 days per month; headaches being bilateral with pressing quality and not accompanied by nausea, photophobia, or phonophobia; and each headache resolved within 30 min. The headache should be present upon awakening and it ceases within 72 h, and does not recur, after effective treatment of sleep apnea [5]. Aldrich et al. reported a frequency of morning headaches in 18 % of patients with OSA versus 21–38 % in the patients with other sleep disorders versus 6 % in control group. They concluded that the symptom of morning headache is nonspecific in patients with sleep disorders [41]. Morning headaches have been reported to have a 90-day prevalence of around 60 % in habitual snorers as well as in their bed partners [42].

In a recent population-based cross-sectional study from Norway, sleep apnea headache is reported in 11.8 % of the participants with OSA. In a Turkish study, the morning headaches resolved in 90 % of the patients using positive airway pressure [43]. In a large telephone questionnaire study ( n = 18,980) from the general populations of the UK, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, prevalence of chronic morning headache was found to be 7.6 %. The headache was most common in patients with depression, insomnia, and sleep-related breathing disorders. The authors concluded that the chronic morning headaches are not specific to sleep-related breathing disorder [44].

Described by Armstrong-Jones [45] in 1920, it is a unique and rare syndrome of sudden, loud, painless, explosive sound in the head without actual headache, which can frighten and awaken the subject from sleep. In a study with polysomnographic evaluation in nine patients with EHS, Sachs and Svanborg concluded that EHS occurs during a nocturnal awakening when the subject is relaxed but temporarily awake [46]. In ICSD II, EHS is listed as one of the parasomnias [47]. The treatment options include clomipramine [46, 48] and topiramate [49].

Given the relationship between sleep and headache , treatment of headache can have implications for sleep. Treatment of headache can be divided into acute and preventive treatment. Acute treatments are required for all patients at some point of time while some patients may need preventive therapy depending upon headache duration, frequency, severity, and response to acute treatment. Migraine being the most common type of headache in practice has gained the most attention.