Seizure In Your Sleep
Seizures are impulsive & unmanaged electrical interruptions in the human brain that can affect the behavior, movements, emotions, and consciousness. These can be experienced by people of all ages, whether it’s a kid or an adult. This neurological disorder is uncontrollable and occasionally unpredictable too. If a person experiences a seizure for more than 5 minutes, he/she should be immediately taken to a hospital. Thus, if a person has a seizure in sleep, its effects might create significant problems for the person and his family too. The seizures experienced while being asleep are also known as Nocturnal Seizures.
Let’s learn all the essential facts and information about having seizures at night while sleeping.
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF SEIZURE
Communication between all the different kinds of nerve cells plays the most vital role in the human body’s function. And this communication is held solely by the electric signals used by the neurons in the brain. However, any slight disturbance in this communication process of nerve cells may lead the person to suffer from a seizure. So, here is a small list of possible seizures causes that might trigger these electrical disturbances in the brain.
- Lack of sleep
- Sleep disorders
- Abnormal blood sodium level
- Excess consumption of alcohol
- Epilepsy
- Consistent high fever or maybe COVID-19 Infection
- Stroke
- Brain tumor causing internal bleeding in the human brain
- Infectious diseases like Tuberculosis and AIDS
- Psychological disorders like Anxiety
- Abnormal eating habits
- Unconsciousness
SEIZURE DURING SLEEP SYMPTOMS
Anyone can experience a seizure in sleep and it’s very important to know all the seizures during sleep symptoms. If you or your loved ones are experiencing the below-mentioned symptoms, consult a doctor right away. This will help in preventing the condition from worsening in the future. Thus, we have prepared the list of symptoms of sleep seizures for you.
- Urination during sleep is one of the most common symptoms of having a seizure. If a person notices a wet bed in the mornings, then he or she should get medical attention immediately.
- Biting your own tongue is another sign of having a seizure while sleep position.
- If a person cries out in sleep or makes unusual noises while sleeping, it might be due to a seizure.
- Sudden stiffness in the body while sleeping is another sign of sleep seizures.
- If the person usually has bruises due to falling out of his bed while sleeping.
- Falling out of bed is also a quite common seizure during sleep symptoms.
- Frequently suffering from severe headaches is also a known indication.
- Jerking or Twitching of various body parts while asleep is also an identified indicator.
- Waking up suddenly while sleeping for no obvious reason is also one of the most common symptoms of nocturnal seizures.
Also, a person may suffer from a lot of common problems like sleepwalking or any kind of night terror. However, it is quite important to figure out the difference between having usual sleep disorders and nocturnal seizures. So, it is very important to seek medical attention and get all the required tests done for the concerned condition.
IS HAVING A SEIZURE WHILE SLEEP DANGEROUS?
Do you notice some abnormalities in the body or some kind of sleeping disorder while you’re asleep? Are you curious to know that can you have a seizure in your sleep and is it dangerous? Whether it has long-term effects? Is it curable?
Well, having a seizure at night is less noticeable as compared to the other types. However, it can create a lot more problems like serious injuries and psychological problems. During nocturnal seizures, a person can easily get seriously injured by falling down from the bed or hurting himself while sleepwalking. Such accidents can often cause a person to wake up suddenly from sleep, which can be disturbing for the mind. Furthermore, the lack of sleep might cause psychological abnormalities that further lead to seizures in the daytime too.
DIAGNOSIS OF SLEEP SEIZURES
Nocturnal seizures can be overwhelming and frightening for anyone. If anyone is experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms, getting an immediate medical checkup done is highly recommended. By doing all the necessary tests, a doctor can diagnose the correct type of seizure a person is suffering from.
All the factors like treatment, recovery time, side effects, and everything else solely depend upon the diagnosis. The Sooner a person seeks medical help, the shorter time it will take to provide the right treatment. Thus, getting the right diagnosis done is probably the most crucial part of the seizures during sleep treatment.
Here are the various methods used for the diagnosis of seizures during sleep.
- Neurological Tests for the assessment of behavior, motor, and psychological functioning of the brain and nervous system.
- Blood Tests to rule out any underlying problems that might have caused a seizure.
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) tests might be done to find the cause and possibility of the seizure happening again.
- Computerized Tomography (CT scan) may be done to check the presence of any irregularity or disorder of the brain.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI scan) might be performed to check the brain thoroughly for irregularities, tumors, and other issues. Also, it helps to find out the location of the brain’s part that triggered the seizures.
SLEEP SEIZURES TREATMENT
People often ask, “Can you have epileptic seizures while sleeping”? The answer to this question is ‘Yes’. Nocturnal seizures can be life-threatening as these increase the chances of death by epilepsy. However, these seizures are not something that can’t be cured. With the right treatment precautions, a patient can fully recover from this health condition. Thus, it is very important to seek medical help at the right time to control and prevent this problem from happening again. For this, identifying the correct type of seizure, its cause, and other health factors is the foremost step.
Here are some of the top methods used for the treatment of sleep seizures.
- Anti-Seizure Medications – Various anti-seizure medications and drugs might be prescribed by the doctor to prevent and control seizures in the future.
- Preventing Seizure Triggers – Preventing various seizure triggers like anxiety and poor sleep can help in the control and management of nocturnal seizures.
- Ketogenic Diet – A diet with high fats and low carbohydrates might be recommended by the doctor.
- Vagus Nerve Stimulator – It’s a seizure-prevention electrical device implanted under the chest’s skin, which sends electrical signals to the human brain.
IMPORTANT SAFETY TIPS FOR PEOPLE WITH SLEEP SEIZURES
In addition to the right treatment and medications, various safety measures can be implemented to minimize the risks of injuries. Here are some of the safety measures for having a seizure in sleep.
- Low Bed Frame – Make sure to sleep on a bed with a low height frame. This will help to ensure that he or she doesn’t get severe injuries in case the person falls down.
- Empty Spaces – Keep as much empty space as possible to avoid getting hurt while sleepwalking in the dark.
- Wall Lighting – Prefer using lamps mounted on the walls rather than using nightstands to avoid getting hurt by bumping and falling.
- Extra Mattresses, Extra Safety – Place an extra mattress on all the sides of the bed to avoid injuries and bruises by falling down during sleep.
- Remove Harmful Objects – All kinds of sharp or dangerous objects should be removed from the bedroom before sleep.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Seizures can happen to anyone while sleeping and can be cured with the right treatment and proper care. Well, meditation and a highly-nourishing diet can also play a vital role in recovering for this problem. Along with this, you need to avoid the seizure triggers like stress and improper sleep in daily life. So, this was everything that would help in the prevention and management of nocturnal seizures. Follow the preventive measures along with the medications, if you or your loved ones are suffering from this disorder.
