Having a seizure while sleeping can also make a person prone to injuries. Nocturnal seizures are potentially dangerous and can increase the risk of dying from epilepsy. A loved one may notice abnormal noises or jerking motions. If you have seizures during your sleep, you may not be aware of them. How do you know if you are having seizures in your sleep? This may make a person with epilepsy more likely to have a seizure. It is thought that excessive hypersynchronous activity in the brain during sleep may contribute. There are many theories as to why seizures happen during sleep. Why do so many seizures happen during sleep?

using a nocturnal seizure monitor that alerts a loved one when a person has a seizureīelow are some frequently asked questions about nocturnal seizures.

using wall-mounted lamps rather than table lamps.

putting a safety mat, such as those for gymnastics, on the floor next to the bed.

choosing a low bed frame or placing the mattress on the floor.

People who have nocturnal seizures may also wish to take measures to prevent injuries. Tracking symptoms and triggers can help with identifying any patterns in the symptoms and whether the treatment plan is working.

a vagus nerve stimulator, or surgical implant that sends electrical impulses to the brain.a high fat, low carbohydrate diet, or ketogenic diet.avoiding seizure triggers, such as sleep deprivation.

The right treatment depends on several factors, including: Controlling seizures greatly reduces a person’s risk of complications. While this can be frightening, epilepsy is usually treatable. They are also more likely to continue to experience unusual brain activity after the seizure.

People who experience nighttime seizures are more likely to experience low blood oxygen during and after the seizure. Nocturnal seizures are potentially dangerous and increase the risk of dying from epilepsy. Treatment and prevention of nocturnal seizures However, it is essential to see a doctor to rule out other causes, such as a brain injury or infection. Between 2–5% of children under 5 years of age in the United States experience febrile seizures, which happen when they have a fever.įebrile seizures are usually harmless, and they typically resolve once the fever subsides. Not all nighttime seizures in children mean the child has epilepsy. Doctors do not know what causes this type of epilepsy. Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, sometimes called Janz syndrome, typically begins in adolescence, and the seizures may be short at first. Most children with this form of epilepsy have a family history of seizures. The primary symptom is nighttime seizures.Ĭhildren with this form of epilepsy may also have migraine or behavioral issues. Several types of childhood epilepsy can cause nocturnal seizures.īenign rolandic epilepsy, the most common form of childhood epilepsy, usually disappears in adulthood. people with a family history of seizuresĬertain types of epilepsy are more likely to cause nocturnal seizures.Some people are at higher risk of developing epilepsy, including: strokes, blood vessel malformations, and tumors.Some potential causes of epilepsy include: Doctors diagnose a person with epilepsy if they have two or more seizures that are not clearly caused by something else, such as a fever or alcohol withdrawal. Knowing a person has epilepsy does not explain why they have seizures. Epilepsy is an umbrella term that refers to many different types of seizure disorders. Lack of sleep is a common seizure trigger among people with epilepsy, so nocturnal seizures that disrupt sleep may increase the risk of further seizures.Įpilepsy can cause nighttime seizures. Immediately after the seizure, it may be difficult to wake the person. This can cause them to bite their tongue or lose control of their bladder or bowels.ĭuring the clonic phase, their muscles may twitch. They typically last less than 5 minutes.ĭuring the tonic phase, a person’s muscles stiffen. Doctors used to call tonic-clonic seizures grand mal seizures. Most nocturnal seizures are tonic-clonic. It’s not uncommon to have these episodes without memory of them the next day. Some wake from sleep with an aura before having a complex partial seizure. There are many different types of seizures, and any can happen during sleep. During a seizure, a sudden surge of unusual electrical activity causes a person to lose control of some of these functions. Various chemicals trigger regular electrical activity that plays a role in everyday thinking, movement, and other brain functions. Nocturnal seizures are rare and usually mean a person has epilepsy.

Family seizure death dream