| Suffering from sleep deprivation can have a lot of | | | | alcohol can be other epileptic triggers. |
| adverse side effects, and sleeplessness is even more | | | | Moreover, sleep deprivation, as most doctors and |
| dangerous if the person has epilepsy. Epilepsy is a | | | | researchers have found out, is also linked with epilepsy. |
| common chronic neurological disorder and is | | | | Epilepsy and sleep deprivation can work both ways: |
| associated with the seizures sufferers acquire | | | | epilepsy can make it difficult for sufferers to go to |
| involuntarily. The seizures are symptoms of an | | | | sleep at night, and sleeplessness in turn, can lead to an |
| excessive, abnormal, or synchronous neuronal activity | | | | epileptic shock. Epilepsy is not limited during a person's |
| in the brain. It is estimated that fifty million people all | | | | waking state: there can be full or partial seizures during |
| over the world has epilepsy or has experienced | | | | sleeping. People who are epileptic are also more likely |
| epilepsy at one point in their lives. | | | | to develop sleeping disorders compared to the rest. |
| Although not all epilepsies are permanent, there is no | | | | Insomnia is not the only adverse effect of epilepsy. |
| cure for it. Medications can help control epileptic shocks | | | | Epileptics are also more likely to develop obstructive |
| but epilepsy itself either lasts for certain stages of | | | | sleep apnea (restriction in the airways, causing pauses |
| childhood or it could very well be a lifelong affliction. | | | | in breathing while asleep), restless leg syndrome, |
| Also, epilepsy in itself is not a single syndrome. There | | | | among others. |
| are numerous precipitating factors for its occurrence, | | | | Medications to control the seizures can also be the |
| and it all culminates as an abnormal activity in the brain | | | | cause why epileptics have a harder time sleeping. It |
| which causes the shock. | | | | has been found that these medicines can cut their |
| Although most epilepsy shocks happen spontaneously | | | | sleeping time or cause erratic sleeping habits. What is |
| or at random, there can be triggers for epilepsy. Shock | | | | worse is that since being deprived of sleep can cause |
| during drug and alcohol withdrawal is not considered | | | | more seizures, and epilepsy (and medications) can |
| epilepsy. The triggers can be normal day to day | | | | cause sleep deprivation, epileptics can be caught in a |
| activities. These are called normal provocants, and it | | | | vicious cycle. It is just like connecting the dots: since |
| can include reading, hot water on the head, and | | | | sleep deprivation can affect the brain, and epilepsy |
| hyperventilation. Flashing or flickering lights is a special | | | | shock is caused by episodic abnormal electrical activity |
| type of reflex epilepsy called photosensitive epilepsy. | | | | in the brain, the link between epilepsy and sleep |
| Though popularly known as an epileptic trigger, only | | | | deprivation is a dangerous combination. |
| two to fourteen percent of epilepsy sufferers are | | | | Dealing with both epilepsy and sleep deprivation is a |
| affected by it. Environmental factors that can lead to | | | | serious matter. One has to consult a doctor, and |
| an epileptic shock or seizures can be sleeping, or | | | | epileptics might need to change their daily habits, their |
| hypnogogia (which is the transition between being | | | | environment, and so on. It takes a great deal of effort, |
| unconscious state of sleeping and waking state). | | | | but with the help of doctors and professionals, it can |
| Menstruation, constipation, stress and anxiety and | | | | be managed. |