Is it possible to have a seizure while sleeping

We do have evidence that REM sleep is essential for at least some types of memory, and probably for concentration as well. If you are short on REM sleep, therefore, you may have a problem with memory and concentration the following day, even if you don't feel drowsy.

We don't know any way to create more REM sleep, so what should you do if your sleep is being disrupted by seizures? Clearly, it is essential to try to eliminate the seizures. If your seizures are not fully controlled, your doctor should refer you to an epilepsy center.

Different medications may control your seizures, or you may be a candidate for epilepsy surgery. If it is impossible to stop all your seizures, you should be especially careful to get enough sleep, particularly in the day or two after a seizure.

Most people with epilepsy take seizure medicines. Whether they fully control seizures or not, the medications themselves may result in tiredness, memory problems, or difficulty concentrating.

Some of them, such as phenobarbital and Klonopin clonazepam , can actually be used as sedatives. They change the structure of sleep and particularly affect REM sleep. Even medications like Dilantin or Phenytek phenytoin and Tegretol or Carbatrol carbamazepine , which are not considered sedatives, also decrease REM sleep and therefore may contribute to memory problems. Lamictal lamotrigine may cause difficulty falling asleep. Other seizure medicines, such as Neurontin gabapentin and Depakote valproate , are thought to have little effect on sleep.

We don't yet know the effects of some of the newest medications, such as Trileptal oxcarbazepine , Keppra levetiracetam , and Zonegran zonisamide. Consider the story of a year-old student who had partial seizures that consisted of staring, lip smacking, and interrupted speech.

She did not remember what happened during her seizures. She first took Tegretol, but as the dose was increased she started to feel tired during much of the day and had trouble concentrating on schoolwork. She stopped having seizures and she thought she was sleeping well. But because she felt constantly tired, she was switched over to Neurontin. Almost immediately, she felt more alert and energetic.

She still had no seizures and she felt much better. The Tegretol had probably been changing the quality of her sleep, making it less effective. The change in medication corrected this problem, and once again she was able to function at her best.

Not everyone is sensitive to any particular medication. Some do fine while taking Tegretol. But if your memory or concentration seems to be suffering, it is possible that your seizure medicine is causing a problem with sleep. This possibility is particularly likely if you are not having any seizures, which can cause similar difficulties.

Ask your doctor about changing to a different medication. The electroencephalogram, or EEG, is a completely safe and painless test that is performed on most people who are suspected of having seizures.

It shows brain waves so the doctor can look for patterns known to be associated with epilepsy. As already mentioned, because abnormalities associated with epilepsy are more common during sleep, the doctor often will try to obtain a recording while you are awake and while you are asleep. Sometimes the doctor will ask you to stay awake all night before an EEG. This is called a sleep-deprived EEG. Because of the lack of sleep, your brain should have more abnormal electrical discharges than usual.

This special EEG can be very helpful in making a diagnosis. This kind of recording shows a long sample of your brain waves and will include deep sleep, which is not typically recorded with a routine EEG. You can have this kind of test at home, with equipment that you carry with you, or you may stay in the hospital for a time. Another way of clarifying a diagnosis of epilepsy is to admit you to a video-EEG monitoring unit, usually for several days. During this time, you will be videotaped at the same time as your brain waves are recorded.

This allows specialists to determine whether there are abnormalities in your brain activity that are consistent with seizures during any seizure-like episodes. They also can get valuable information about the location of seizure activity in your brain. Standard EEG recordings for epilepsy do not evaluate sleep disorders. Most people with epilepsy do not have a sleep disorder, but if you are someone who has both epilepsy and a disorder such as sleep apnea, you probably should have a sleep study.

In this test, you will sleep in a laboratory. Your breathing, muscle tone, eye movements, and brain waves will be measured electronically to see if your sleep patterns are normal and, if not, to determine what sort of problem is present. People with epilepsy are particularly vulnerable to the effects of sleep disruption, and unfortunately seizures and the medications used to control them can contribute to this problem.

If you have problems with drowsiness or trouble with your memory or concentration, even when you seem to be spending enough hours asleep, you may need a change of seizure medicine or a sleep study. To achieve your best overall level of function, you must pay attention to the relationship between your seizures and your sleep. The mission of the Epilepsy Foundation is to lead the fight to overcome the challenges of living with epilepsy and to accelerate therapies to stop seizures, find cures, and save lives.

Skip to main content. Sometimes I jerk in my sleep. Is this epilepsy? Many strange things can happen during sleep. Many of them are not epilepsy and most are normal: You've probably experienced a sudden jerking myoclonus of some or all of your muscles when you were just falling asleep.

Perhaps it awoke you with a start. Not all people with nocturnal seizures know they have them. Sometimes, the only symptom is a headache or a bruise upon waking. Following a seizure, a person may feel exhausted or sleep deprived. This can cause them to be sleepy or irritable during the day.

Nocturnal seizures usually occur right after a person falls asleep, right before they awake, or right after they awake. Epilepsy can cause nighttime seizures. Epilepsy is an umbrella term that refers to many different types of seizure disorders. Knowing a person has epilepsy does not explain why they have seizures. Doctors diagnose a person with epilepsy if they have two or more seizures that are not clearly due to something else, such as a fever or alcohol withdrawal.

Certain types of epilepsy are more likely to cause nocturnal seizures. They include:. Distinguishing nocturnal seizures from other sleep behavior, such as sleepwalking or night terrors, can be challenging.

People who live alone may wake up tired, but not know that they have seizures. If a person does not experience daytime seizures, they may be unaware they are at risk for nighttime seizures. A person who has unusual nighttime behavior, headaches in the morning, or unexplained mood changes should see a doctor. Doctors usually diagnose epilepsy with an electroencephalogram EEG , which is a test that measures electrical activity in the brain.

In some cases, a doctor may recommend MRI or CT scans to see if there is an area of brain injury or a tumor in the brain. When a person only experiences nighttime seizures or is not sure whether their nighttime experiences are seizures, a doctor may recommend a sleep study.

Sleep studies can rule out other issues, such as sleep apnea. Benign rolandic epilepsy, the most common form of childhood epilepsy, usually disappears in adulthood. The primary symptom is nighttime seizures.

Children with this form of epilepsy may also have migraines or behavioral issues. Most children with this form of epilepsy have a family history of seizures. Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy , sometimes called Janz syndrome, typically begins in adolescence, and the seizures may be short at first. Doctors do not know what causes this type of epilepsy, but it may be genetic.

Not all nighttime seizures in children mean the child has epilepsy. Febrile seizures are usually harmless, and they typically resolve once the fever subsides. However, it is essential to see a doctor to rule out other causes, such as a brain injury or infection.

The next stage of deep sleep is when most dreaming occurs. During REM sleep the brain tries to organise the information we have received throughout the day. The purpose of REM sleep and dreaming is unclear. However some theories suggest it may be important for making sense of our thoughts, ideas and experiences, and the emotions and memories attached to them. A lack of sleep can affect our memories and judgement. It can also affect our mood and how well our immune system works.

Some people have specific triggers for their seizures, for example a lack of sleep. In some types of epilepsy seizures can happen as someone is waking up and within the next few hours. For some people the effects of having a seizure can upset their sleep pattern for several days afterwards. As with all medications, anti-epileptic drugs AEDs can cause side effects for some people.

AEDs may have different effects on sleep, and this can vary from person to person, depending on the dose. Some AEDs are classed as sedatives and can cause tiredness. Some can cause insomnia or disrupted sleep. However some AEDs can help to improve the quality of sleep by increasing the length of deep sleep. Frontal lobe epilepsy is a type of epilepsy where seizures can commonly happen during periods of NREM sleep as well as when awake.

They can include sudden jerking movements, strange postures or movements of the arms or legs, loud cries or screams and wandering about during sleep. These can include confused behaviour during sleep, sleepwalking or night terrors where a person suddenly wakes from sleep in a state of panic or fright.

This may happen when some parts of the brain are awake and others are asleep. Some parasomnias include making unusual movements or sounds. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell whether someone is having seizures or if what happens to them is part of a parasomnia. It can be helpful to keep a record or video recording of what happens during the event to help with diagnosis.

Seizures often follow a similar pattern each time they happen and it may be clear to see when a seizure starts and when it stops. However, parasomnias do not necessarily follow a pattern and often have no clear end.