Relationship Between Epilepsy And Sleep

This relationship was first studied in the nineteenth century. The interface between epilepsy and sleep medicine is rising, so there comes a new area to be attended by the specialists of sleep disorders and epidemiologists. The knowledge of these different mechanisms might be valuable for neurologists in order to discover new strategies for treatment.

According to Valente and Pentagna (2014), poor sleep conditions hygiene and primary sleep disorders should be addressed properly by epidemiologists. However, psychiatric disorders and cognitive deficiencies are addressed frequently to improve social functioning and quality of life of the patient. Epilepsy influences sleep by different mechanisms; however, sleep disorders may not be diagnosed properly in patients with epilepsy. As, epileptic patients have bad sleep quality because of the effects of antiepileptic medications and accompanying diseases like obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia. So, in this situation, a suitable treatment of epilepsy might be essential for a better sleep quality.

Sleep disorders and sleep fragmentation are considered as some of the factors that influence the worsening of seizure. According to them, seizure control can be improved by improving sleep quality. Therefore, treatment of sleep disorders and improved sleep hygiene may improve seizure control and quality of life. Treating beyond seizures has become a hallmark of the new approach of epilepsy. Moreover, they suggested that knowledge about epileptiform discharge behavior during sleep can be useful in clinical practice.

Reference BM Insider 

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