Getting a good night’s sleep is important for everyone, but it’s even more critical if you’re one of the 2 million people in the United States with epilepsy. The reasons for this are twofold: Seizures can keep you from getting the quality sleep that you need, and being sleep-deprived can cause you to have more seizures. It’s a vicious cycle, especially if you don’t yet realize that your seizures are affecting the amount and quality of sleep you’re getting.
Why the close relationship between sleep and epilepsy? Seizure disorders like epilepsy cause a “misfiring” of your brain, the very organ that regulates your sleep. So when your brain is malfunctioning because of your seizures, your sleep suffers. And when your sleep suffers, your brain is more vulnerable to the misfirings that cause the seizures in the first place. Some seizures, such as benign Rolandic (benign focal epilepsy of childhood) and frontal lobe seizures, occur while you’re asleep. Others, like juvenile myoclonic and awakening grand mal seizures, happen as you’re waking up. Either way, your sleep is affected. In fact, you may experience problems even on nights when you don’t have any seizures.
Another complicating factor is that the medicine you’re taking to help with your seizures might be making you extra-tired or even changing the quality of your sleep. Some common seizure medicines, such as clonazepam, phenobarbital, and valproate, can have sedating effects, which means they may make you sleepier than normal. Many of the newer seizure medicines are less likely to have sedating effects, so talk with your doctor about switching if you think your meds are leaving you more tired than usual.
Smart Sleep Strategies for More ZZZs
Making adjustments in your medication, avoiding known seizure triggers, and working closely with your doctor on your treatment strategy are crucial health steps. Also important, however, says sleep specialist Shalini Paruthi, MD, an assistant professor at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and co-director of the SSM Center for Sleep Disorders at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, is following these tips to help you rest easy and wake up refreshed:
- Get enough shut-eye. It sounds obvious, but the fact is that most of us just don’t sleep enough. A recent poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that about two-thirds of Americans say their sleep needs are not being met during the week. The average adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night to function at their best, and 5- to 10-year-olds need 10 or 11 hours. If you’re sleep-deprived, your brain will be more irritated, and an irritated brain can mean more seizures. So first things first: Get more sleep.
- Treat any other sleep problems. Some studies have shown that people with epilepsy are more likely to have sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), and insomnia. Having a sleep disorder is a double whammy for you: If your brain is irritated by a sleep disorder all night long, that can provoke more seizures. Know the signs: Feeling excessively tired during the day, snoring, or waking up often during the night can signal a sleep disorder. Your doctor might recommend that you see a sleep medicine specialist who can perform certain tests to see exactly what’s affecting your sleep. If you do have a sleep disorder, controlling it can help calm your brain and improve your epilepsy treatment too.
- Train your brain. Developing good sleep habits and creating an environment that’s conducive to sleep are key to getting quality rest. Keep your bedroom dark and quiet. Turn off all electronics, including TVs, cell phones, handheld video games, tablets, and computers — they all emit light, which decreases melatonin, the hormone produced by your brain that helps you sleep. Having a simple bedtime routine that you follow every night — whether it’s a soak in the tub or a few minutes of deep breathing — can help teach your body and mind when it’s time to go to sleep.
Dr. Paruthi admits that doing this kind of habit retraining can be hard at first, but you’ll soon feel the restful results. “Many people forget that getting to sleep involves positive, good behaviors," she says. "To be a good sleeper, you have to actually practice your short, 15-minute bedtime routine every night. And practice makes perfect.”
Last Updated: 3/13/2012