Headaches & vomiting. 5 yr old exhaustion or migraines?

[OhYoshimi]

Every so often, but becoming more and more frequent, my ds gets so tired he complains of a headache and then shortly after starts throwing up. The cure is sleep and he usually does go straight to sleep after an episode.
He has a few late nights for whatever reason, or maybe he gets up too early over a few days and never catches up on sleep. He then gets to this point, which I always put down to sheer exhaustion.
Tonight it's happened again and we've now made the connection that it usually happens when he's been watching tv. He also felt extremely hot. We now wonder if it's migraine related.
Has anyone ever experienced anything like this before?
The frustrating part is that if he was a better sleeper, I'm sure this wouldn't happen. We've bought him a Gro Clock which helps with mornings but he doesn't settle at night.
Any input would be interesting thanks.

I think it would be worth talking to your GP. How long does he watch tv for? Have you tried dropping tv for a week and seeing whether it still happens?

Agree, see the GP but the classic sleep changes sound like migraine inducing. My mam said I used to not sleep before a childhood migraine and I still do it now .

I had childhood migraines and being sick and sleeping was the only cure each time. Loads of people told my Mum that children couldn't have migraines until one good GP diagnosed them. Mind you that was over 30 years ago!

I would start with a visit to the optician and the GP.

It's often happened after about an hour of tv which he's watching while I cook dinner after school.
Haven't tried cutting out the tv as have only just made the connection.
Think my op was a bit unclear. The sickness/headaches/temperature happen when he's already overtired. We wondered whether being overtired combined with watching tv brought on migraine symptoms.
My OH thinks a GP appointment wouldn't help as the cause is lack of sleep and the cure is sleep. I'm not convinced.
He had an eye test at school and failed. He'll be re-tested when he goes back. It was only a couple of letters on the smallest line he couldn't read, so I'd disregarded this as a possible cause, but I'll raise it with the school nurse.
Thanks for your thoughts.

I think you need to see your GP and your optician to rule out anything more serious.

I wouldn't rely on a basic school nurse eye test for the simple reason that there are eye problem which must be corrected before a certain age or they remain for life.

Sounds like migraines to me too, but yes, you really should get an optician to have a look at him. Explain why you are there and they will have a really good look at the back of his eyes etc.

My ds has suffered with migraines since he was 4, although it took us a while to figure out that that's what it was. Ds's triggers are, too much screen time, over excitement, and extremes of temperature.
We kept a food diary for a while, but couldn't find any links to food at all.

When he has a migraine, he will go deathly pale and quiet, and the headache will not go until he is sick. He then normally sleeps for quite a while.

He is 9 now and unfortunatly his migraines got more frequent the older he got, and he now has to have 15ml of Pizotifen every night to keep them under control.

If it is migraines then you will learn to read the signs. I always take calpol and those medisooth forehead strips out with me now, just incase.

Hope you manage to get it sorted.

That's interesting, Nutcracker, his dad has to take Pizotifen but his main symptoms are queasiness and dizziness. It is migraine related, which is another reason we wondered about it.
I will take him to GP/optician.