![]() ![]() One common type is the brief staring spells experienced mainly by children, also known as “petit mal” or “absence” seizures. There are several types of generalized seizures. Some patients suffer from “generalized” seizures, which seem to start everywhere in the brain at once. As seizures get larger, the symptoms become more dramatic, including confusion, falling, or uncontrolled shaking of all extremities (a “grand mal” seizure). A seizure that begins in the visual area can result in brief changes in vision or a hallucination. For instance, a seizure that begins in the motor area of the brain might consist of uncontrolled jerking of one hand. When these are small, the symptoms correspond only to the small area of the brain involved. The most common kind of seizures is “partial”, meaning that they begin in one part of the brain. Seizures with specific relationships to sleepĮpilepsy is not one disease, and there are many different kinds of seizures. This may require therapy, but is also not a seizure. In this condition, the normal paralysis which occurs during dreaming does not occur, so that the patient can actually act out dreams. If movements are very violent, there is a possibility that the patient is suffering from REM behavior disorder. This usually does not wake the patient, and as such often does not require treatment. Periodic movements of sleep consist of rhythmic, small movements of one or both legs. These include restless legs syndrome, in which a crawling or tingling sensation is felt in the legs when trying to fall asleep and is only relieved by movement. Other sleep disorders can consist of jerking and occasionally be confused with epilepsy. ![]() The patient will be totally unaware of what is happening during them. Other conditions which are more common in children are somnambulism (sleep walking) and bed wetting. These are also benign, and rarely require treatment unless frequent. The child or adult may be very disoriented immediately afterward, adding to the possible confusion with seizures. These happen during the deeper stages of sleep and are known as sleep terrors. Many people (especially children) experience frightening images, sometimes along with shortness of breath or screaming. Although a form of myoclonus, these are completely normal. During drowsiness, you may experience a single, sometimes violent contraction of some or all of your muscles. Most common are sudden jerking motions which can occur when falling asleep. ![]() Many strange things can happen during sleep, but many of these are not epilepsy and most are normal. Shaking, jerking, and other things during sleep which can be mistaken for epilepsy This section will look specifically at each of these areas, so that you can understand the specific importance of sleep in people with epilepsy. Finally, many of the medications used to treat epilepsy can adversely affect sleep. Seizures, in turn, can disrupt sleep with resulting persistent drowsiness and difficulty concentrating even days after a seizure. This relationship can be important in the diagnosis of seizures, in the prognosis for recovery, and in choosing appropriate treatment. Most seizure types are affected by sleep, although the degree varies widely with both the particular type and the individual patient. ![]() For patients with epilepsy, however, sleep is particularly important for a number of reasons. Everyone knows how much clearer we think, how much quicker we react, how much better we perform after a full night of uninterrupted sleep compared with one which is frequently interrupted or too short. ![]()
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