Sleep and epilepsy

• Maintaining good sleep is essential for preventing seizures and being successful at school or work. Unfortunately, epilepsy and seizure medications can sometimes disturb sleep. Untreated depression and anxiety can also worsen sleep.
  - How much sleep is enough?
    * Missing sleep can sometimes trigger seizures, but there is no magic number for how much sleep is required to prevent seizures.  In general, it is best to sleep the recommended amount for one’s age
       - Children and infants require more sleep than adults
       - Most adults require 7 to 8 hours of sleep, but this varies person to person
  - How to get a good night’s rest
    * Having good “sleep hygiene” is important to get a good night’s rest
       - Don’t eat too much prior to bedtime
       - Don’t exercise to close to bedtime
       - Don’t read, watch TV, play on the computer, or listen to music if this interferes with falling asleep
       - Keep the same bedtime and rising time each day
       - Avoid caffeinated products such as coffee, soda, and chocolates after lunch
    * Some seizure medications like lamotrigine will cause insomnia.  Sometimes insomnia can be prevented by taking more of the medical earlier in the day.  Discuss this with your treating physician
    * Some seizure medication, like Phenobarbital or clonazepam, will help one fall asleep, but cause sleepiness during the day.  The opposite strategy works here- take more of the medication at bedtime
    * Sleep apnea (brief pauses in breathing during sleep) is a common but highly treatable cause of sleep disturbance.   Sleep apnea is more common in persons with epilepsy than the general population. Patients who feel sleepy during the day and are overweight, snore, or have facial deformities should consider seeing a sleep specialist for testing.  Untreated sleep apnea can lead to seizures, high blood pressure, and other medical problems
    * Disturbed sleep can also be a symptom of anxiety or depression, which can be treated successfully if recognized and addressed.  
    * Seizures can interfere with sleep.  If you wake up with muscle soreness, tongue bites, or the bed is wet, tell your treating MD.  Sometimes overnight EEG tests can be useful to detect seizure activity