Epilepsy and Sleep

Most people who have epilepsy need about the same amount of sleep as everybody else. There's usually no need to take extra naps or to go to bed early.

However, all-night study sessions, a series of late nights, or an overall lack of sleep can greatly raise the risk of seizures. In fact, that's one reason why doctors often ask adults or children suspected of having epilepsy to stay up late the night before an EEG examination. The lack of sleep increases the chances of seizure activity showing up on the tests. Another reason is to increase the chances that you will sleep during part of the EEG. Some seizure patterns are much more common in sleep than while awake.

On the other hand, people with epilepsy should not feel they need an excessive amount of sleep. If you feel tired and sleepy all the time, chances are your medicine needs adjustment in some way, or you may be depressed. Perhaps your dose is too high, or you are taking it at the wrong time of day. Don't make changes yourself, though. Tell your doctor about it.