Seizures during sleep, known as nocturnal seizures, happen because the brain's electrical activity naturally shifts during different sleep stages. These changes can make the brain more vulnerable to seizure activity, particularly during the lighter stages of sleep or when waking up.
Certain types of epilepsy are more prone Show Full Answer
Seizures during sleep, known as nocturnal seizures, happen because the brain's electrical activity naturally shifts during different sleep stages. These changes can make the brain more vulnerable to seizure activity, particularly during the lighter stages of sleep or when waking up.
Certain types of epilepsy are more prone to causing nighttime seizures, including:
- Frontal lobe epilepsy – seizures tend to cluster during sleep and often involve strong, brief motor movements
- Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy – quick jerking movements that often happen shortly after waking
- Landau-Kleffner syndrome – focal seizures that can progress to tonic-clonic seizures during sleep Sleep deprivation can also work the other way — poor or disrupted sleep is one of the most common seizure triggers. So nocturnal seizures can cause tiredness, which may then lead to more seizures. As one MyEpilepsyTeam member put it, "It takes so much out of you."
If nighttime seizures are a concern, it's worth speaking with a doctor. Options like adjusting medication timing or exploring other treatments can sometimes make a real difference.
June 9
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