Print this pageAuthor: Chris Dreyer
Most doctors and scientist agree that there is a distinct correlation between epilepsy and sleep deprivation. Epilepsy disturbs sleep and sleep deprivation can bring on epileptic seizures. There are many reasons why this happens.
Epilepsy disturbs sleep by awakening sufferers during the night. There may be several full or partial seizures during any given night. This is one reason why epilepsy and sleep deprivation go hand in hand.
People with epilepsy are also more prone to sleep disorders than the general population. Not only do they suffer insomnia, they may also be plagued by restless leg syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, or other sleep disorders. These contribute to their lack of a good night's sleep as well.
People, whether they have epilepsy or not, should go through 90-minute cycles of Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep and Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (NREM and REM) throughout the night. As the night wears on, the shift should be more towards REM sleep. The total REM sleep throughout the night should amount to about 25%.
This brings up a problem that causes people with epilepsy to have poor quality sleep. Some of the anticonvulsant medications change the way people sleep. They may sleep for shorter periods of time. They may also have unfortunate variations in their sleep cycles. This is a secondary way in which epilepsy interferes with proper sleep.
At the same time, there is a completely different side to the epilepsy and sleep deprivation question. Sleep deprivation seems to provoke seizures in many people. As people with epilepsy become more sleep deprived, they begin to have more trouble with their disorder. More problems with their disorder lead to more sleep deprivation. It creates a cycle that is detrimental to the person's overall health.
Not only does sleep deprivation trigger seizures in people with epilepsy, it can also affect the intensity, duration, and frequency of seizures as well. This makes the cycle even more harmful to the person with epilepsy. It is difficult to get a good night's sleep under such conditions.
Epilepsy represents a group of disorders in which electrical activity in the brain is problematic. Also, certain brainwave patterns are identified with certain levels of sleep. This refers to the 4 levels of NREM and the REM sleep. The usual activity in the brain is disrupted when these sleep states are not achieved normally. This makes people more susceptible to seizures.
It takes a real effort for people with epilepsy to break the hold of sleep deprivation. One thing they do have control over is their daily habits. Some of the activities one does can interfere with sleep. Other activities encourage the body to wind down and allow the person to fall asleep more easily. Therefore, it can help to make better choices throughout the day.
When people are dealing with both epilepsy and sleep deprivation, they have a difficult job ahead. They need to work with their doctors in identifying any sleep disorders and poor sleep-related habits. Only when these problems are addressed can these people avoid the devastating effects of sleep deprivation.
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