I only have seizures when I am asleep. Why?
Answer by John W. Miller, MD, PhD
Although many people with epilepsy find that their seizures are affected by sleep, different individuals have very different patterns. Some only have seizures during sleep; some only have them when they are awake.
It’s also not unusual for seizures to be stronger if they happen during sleep. People with some types of epilepsy often have seizures right after they wake up in the morning. With most types of epilepsy, lack of sleep or poor sleep can trigger seizures.
There are great differences in the electrical and chemical activity of different brain regions during wakefulness, quiet sleep, and dreaming sleep, and these differences must explain why a person’s state of arousal or sleep can trigger seizures. However, the relationship between sleep and seizures is so variable in different people, that researchers do not have answers that apply to everyone with epilepsy.
The most important thing is to understand how sleep affects your epilepsy. It is important to get enough sleep. If you have a sleep problem, such as insomnia (trouble falling or staying asleep) or sleep apnea, treating the sleep problem may help to control your seizures. If you have to get up early in the morning, be sure to go to bed early enough to get a good night’s sleep. If you find that your seizures typically happen at certain times of night or day, you should be extra careful at those times. Talk to you doctor so that you can understand how sleep affects your seizures, and what you can do about it.
I’ve found that I am having different kinds of seizures at different times of day and they are different intensity. Does this mean anything significant?
My first seizures used to be when I was tired, and about to take a nap, and be simple partial.
After a few years, different medicine and finally no medicine, I began to experience this nocturnal seizure, where my tightening arm would wake me up, but the overall experience seemed less intense. I recovered rather quickly and remembered everything that happened leading me to believe that I was not losing consciousness. However within the last week I have experienced another more simple partial seizure out of the blue.
So is it typical to experience different types of seizures? Does this mean anything?
Cassie…With this kind of communication my response to you is that you really need to talk with your neurologist or epileptologist. There are many different kinds of epilepsy and seizure disorders, many different types of medications and therapies, many different ways in which seizure activity can present…so, best to consult your doctor with these kind of questions.
Hi as i am writing this now im up in the night waiting for my mom to have a seizure which she has had about three so far this morning.
It started about 15yrs ago when i woke up one morning to my mom making a strange sound an froth soming from her mouth, her throat looked swollen as if someone had choked her. When she came out of it fully she continued into sleep. when she woke up she was un aware of what had happened. First it use to occure one every few months or so but now its once every month you can actually look out for it.
When ever it occures she is always asleep in the early mornings mostly and for that day only as long as she keeps falling asleep she would have a seizure we can help prevent a full out seizure by waking her up before she starts to clench her fist bite on her tongue her while clenching her teeth and starts to stiffen out while giving off a sound like someone crying with there mouth shut accumpanied by small jerky movements back and forth, her eyes stared open and scary live a horror movie, its terryfiying to watch. after waking she has no recolection of what had occured only the heacdache tired ness and biten tongue. She usually cant stay awake after so we allow her to sleep which cut down the head aches and complete tiredness.
Did a brain scan but it show nothing do you think a EEG would help or a MRI.
We are desperate my mom has never slept alone in 15yrs due to that we are always scared of losing her so we take turns if we have to go out. She is ferfectly normal. Im affraid that she could fall asleep one day while we are out and aspirate on her saliva
Have you talked with your doctor regarding an EEG or MRI, and the issues around sleep?