Is there a link between quality of sleep and vulnerability to having seizures?

[brain]

I have seen that the University of Michigan has done a study on sleep apnea and seizure activity. Since having sleep apnea interupts your sleep pattern I am sure there is a connection there.

There is a correlation between Epilepsy
and Sleep Apnea.

[Cinnabar]

I have seen that the University of Michigan has done a study on sleep apnea and seizure activity. Since having sleep apnea interupts your sleep pattern I am sure there is a connection there.

I hope this reaches everyone who's shared a plethora of information concerning lighting during sleep. Now, that I'm falling asleep with a tea light on my bed side table (safley, so it does not tumble over) I'm rethinking this soothing pattern after all I'm hearing from you. Thanks - Laurie

[RobinN]

I am glad that it helped Laurie.

[TeeTees]

My sleep pattern has never been so disrupted in my entire life lately (for months), and I'm sure this is the Devil behind my seizures increasing.

The vicious circle for me is :

1. can't get to sleep
2. seizure happens
3. I sleep heavy due to seizure
4. I awake early
5. I have another seizure the following day/night due to lack of sleep <aaargh!>
6. Go back to step 1

[Cinnabar]

My sleep pattern has never been so disrupted in my entire life lately (for months), and I'm sure this is the Devil behind my seizures increasing.

The vicious circle for me is :

1. can't get to sleep
2. seizure happens
3. I sleep heavy due to seizure
4. I awake early
5. I have another seizure the following day/night due to lack of sleep <aaargh!>
6. Go back to step 1

Question...you say you can't get to sleep then seizure happens...Does it happen in your sleep? I have woken up in the middle of the night, and abruptly, with total loss of bladder control. I mean my bed is soaked. I've learned,here, that that this is a tonic clonic seizure. I have a seizure in my sleep (why I am not aware of it is still a mystery to me) and that the loss of bladder control is a form of relief from the nocturnal seizure I'm not aware of. So what kind of seizure to you have when you can't get to sleep? I have Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. When I don't get enough sleep and am stressed that night I drop to the floor and go into convulsions usually damaging my body. Head injury, rotator cuff out of wack etc. It amazes me how many forms there are of epilepsy. Have you ever had a tonic clonic seizure? Or what form your seizure takes. Sounds like you have a very intense vicious circle. I wish I had some answers for you. Maybe someone here can enlighten you! Alway - Laurie

[TeeTees]

Question...you say you can't get to sleep then seizure happens...Does it happen in your sleep? I have woken up in the middle of the night, and abruptly, with total loss of bladder control. I mean my bed is soaked. I've learned,here, that that this is a tonic clonic seizure. I have a seizure in my sleep (why I am not aware of it is still a mystery to me) and that the loss of bladder control is a form of relief from the nocturnal seizure I'm not aware of. So what kind of seizure to you have when you can't get to sleep? I have Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. When I don't get enough sleep and am stressed that night I drop to the floor and go into convulsions usually damaging my body. Head injury, rotator cuff out of wack etc. It amazes me how many forms there are of epilepsy. Have you ever had a tonic clonic seizure? Or what form your seizure takes. Sounds like you have a very intense vicious circle. I wish I had some answers for you. Maybe someone here can enlighten you! Alway - Laurie

Hi Laurie,

Mine usually start with me waking because I get 'haunted' by the dreaded voice/s telling me that they're gonna stab/kill me if I remain where I am. Therefore I need to get OUT of bed to get away from the 'killer'.

I'm then able to get out of bed, but don't have any problems with hurting myself / falling over.

I then kinda awake from it, and realise where I am, and then get back into bed - job done.

Then I find that I wake up early, for some unknown reason, which in turn makes me tired again due to lack of sleep.....back to square 1.

I have also had occasions in the past where I 'wet the bed', or even 'wet myself' (if in the daytime). These happen very rarely now....few and far between. So don't feel any shame in losing bladder control. I'm sure it was noted on here before that it's just a form of stress release, when the seizure has ended ?....unless somebody can correct me on this ?

[Cinnabar]

Hi Laurie,

Mine usually start with me waking because I get 'haunted' by the dreaded voice/s telling me that they're gonna stab/kill me if I remain where I am. Therefore I need to get OUT of bed to get away from the 'killer'.

I'm then able to get out of bed, but don't have any problems with hurting myself / falling over.

I then kinda awake from it, and realise where I am, and then get back into bed - job done.

Then I find that I wake up early, for some unknown reason, which in turn makes me tired again due to lack of sleep.....back to square 1.

I have also had occasions in the past where I 'wet the bed', or even 'wet myself' (if in the daytime). These happen very rarely now....few and far between. So don't feel any shame in losing bladder control. I'm sure it was noted on here before that it's just a form of stress release, when the seizure has ended ?....unless somebody can correct me on this ?

I, too, have had very frightening experiences, hearing loud and sharp menacing voices aimed to terrify me. They happen after having fallen into a deep sleep - shorty after the deep sleep, I think - but I'm not exactly sure of the time frame. I used to wake up totally terrified but now I've become used to them. Most are male voices, some female and come from only a certain area in my room. Exception... my most recent voice seemed closer to me in the room. I can't make out what there saying because the voices spurt (and I mean "spurt out") only one or two sylables - at me. The voices are always very loud and issue some sort of directive though unclear because of their limited sylables. I have Temporal Lobe Epilespy and I read somewhere that this is a phenomenon associated with temporal lobe epilepsy. Do you have temporal lobe epilepsy? Forms of epilepsy are so varied and complex that perhaps people with other forms experience this too. I'm so glad you mentioned the voices because I was going to post a question about this very matter. Maybe someone out there has some input about this nocturnal horror. I'm sure Tee Teez and I would appreciate hearing from you! Well, Tee Teez...I'm sure we'll sleep better the more we understand why this happens. Laurie

[RobinN]

http://www.nightterrors.org/mot.htm

My son had night terrors as a child. He is the one with ASD, and it might have a connection with his intestinal/neurological issues.

Here is a load of questions:
Any chance you have immune issues and get regular flu vaccines? Have you ever had metals tested? Are these in a dream state? Could you be working out issues?

[Cinnabar]

http://www.nightterrors.org/mot.htm

My son had night terrors as a child. He is the one with ASD, and it might have a connection with his intestinal/neurological issues.

Here is a load of questions:
Any chance you have immune issues and get regular flu vaccines? Have you ever had metals tested? Are these in a dream state? Could you be working out issues?

These voices are surely not from a dream state. When a child, on few occassions, I'd hear maybe a soft voice in the "process" of falling asleep. I do have a weakened immune system - Epstein Bar Syndrome. I do get regular flu vaccines but have never had metals tested. All I can say is that these loud taunting voices never occured until after my first seizure last year. And your last question - Oh boy...I work out issues in complex dream patterns and with my trusty therapist! Laurie

[RobinN]

I am certainly not a doctor. Just a mom with my feelers out in overdrive.

Mercury in the central nervous system (CNS) causes psychological, neurological, and immunological problems in humans.25 26 27 Mercury bonds very firmly to structures in the CNS through its affinity for sulfhydryl-groups on amino acids. Other studies have shown that mercury is taken up in the periphery by all nerve endings and rapidly transported inside the axon of the nerves (axonal transport) to the spinal cord and brainstem.28 29 30 Unless actively removed, mercury has an extremely long half-life of somewhere between 15 and 30 years in the CNS.1 31

The nervous system is more sensitive to mercury toxicity than any other organ in the body. Mercury has recently been documented to be associated with arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies as hair analysis showed mercury levels to be 20,000 higher in those with these cardiac abnormalities.56 Mercury exposure has also been associated with other neurological problems such as tremors,57 insomnia, polyneuropathy, paresthesias, emotional lability, irritability, personality changes, headaches, weakness, blurred vision, dysarthria, slowed mental response and unsteady gait.1 58 59

http://www.mercola.com/article/mercu...limination.htm

MS is a very challenging problem to treat. There are no simple solutions. Usually mercury is a complicating factor. The mercury tends to impair the immune system and allow infections like Epstein Barr worsen the problem.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...tein-barr.aspx

It is my understanding that the heavy metals in the system hold on to viruses. Problems with virus, immunity, neurological, psychological, etc.

There is mercury in Flu vaccines in the form of thimerisol.

•Flu shots are preserved with thimerisol as the primary preservative. Thimerisol is a nerve toxin, a form of organic mercury. Mercury poisoning is deadly and cause a range of health issues that stay with the patient for life. The effect is cumulative, and if annual flu vaccines become required, the toxic load is sufficient to cause autism-like symptoms, fibromyalgia like symptoms and more. Thimerisol has been banned in many European countries, because of its negative health impacts. I repeat, mercury is a neural poison. Do we really want to inject it directly into our blood streams?

•Flu shots have a more concentrated dose of mercury, than the EPA indicates is safe for a 250-pound man. We give these shots to babies and school children. And we wonder why learning disabilities are rising at alarming proportions in this country?

http://ezinearticles.com/?id=104080

[Cinnabar]

I am certainly not a doctor. Just a mom with my feelers out in overdrive.


http://www.mercola.com/article/mercu...limination.htm


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...tein-barr.aspx

It is my understanding that the heavy metals in the system hold on to viruses. Problems with virus, immunity, neurological, psychological, etc.

There is mercury in Flu vaccines in the form of thimerisol.

http://ezinearticles.com/?id=104080

When I go to get tested for Lamicital Levels I think I'll look into mecury levels. Thanks so much RobinN. Laurie - PS You sound like a doctor! A person with invaluable resources!

[RobinN]

PS You sound like a doctor! A person with invaluable resources!

OMG no!
I just have learned to use the library of the University of Internet Research
and weird stuff gets stuck in my brain. I also have a child on the ASD spectrum and the similarities and the links at times interest me. Rebecca has a 16 yr old friend with fibromyalgia and a brother on the ASD spectrum, and once again there are similarities. So viral, intestinal distress, toxicity, and neurologist issues, all seem to hold hands at times.

The fact that there are children and adults being "cured" of autism, ADHD, OCD, by concentrating on the above symptoms fascinates me. I think there is a subset of seizure disorders that can be "cured" too by looking at these symptoms.

But once again, that is my own "non-medical" opinion

[Cinnabar]

OMG no!
I just have learned to use the library of the University of Internet Research
and weird stuff gets stuck in my brain. I also have a child on the ASD spectrum and the similarities and the links at times interest me. Rebecca has a 16 yr old friend with fibromyalgia and a brother on the ASD spectrum, and once again there are similarities. So viral, intestinal distress, toxicity, and neurologist issues, all seem to hold hands at times.

The fact that there are children and adults being "cured" of autism, ADHD, OCD, by concentrating on the above symptoms fascinates me. I think there is a subset of seizure disorders that can be "cured" too by looking at these symptoms.

But once again, that is my own "non-medical" opinion

I'll be seriously exploring Temporal Lobe Epilespy - not just the multiple symptoms but ways that may be "cure alls" if there is such a thing with temporal lobe epilepsy. Terminology can be overwhelming but not as overwhelming as the seizures. Knowledge is power and I'm all about seeking it. All I know about temporal lobe epilepsy is that it is organic. My MRI proved to show that my left hippocampus is 50% half the size of my right. It's possible that I was born with it and it's very possible that it was stunted by early trauma. The latter I can contest to! Concerning data, I don't know what I'd do without the net. I remember my love of librarys, pouring over information for term papers and truly miss it. But the internet has spoiled me!
Thank you, as always, for sharing all that you've gleened. Always - Laurie
PS I'd actually like to spend more time at the library but transportation is an issue for me. You may remember I can't drive for a year.

[RobinN]

With so many people reporting sleep problems, and an increase in seizure activity. I thought this article very relevant. Very important information.

Your biological clock is not the only thing that reminds you to shut eye every 24 hours; a new study has found that it's actually light that governs your sleeping patterns.

Your eyes use light to reset your biological clock through a mechanism that is separate from your ability to see, researchers at Johns Hopkins University found.

Researchers genetically modified laboratory mice so that a particular set of retinal ganglion cells -- the ones that receive input from the rods and cones of the eyes and send information to your brain -- no longer functioned. The mice were still able to use light to see normally, but had great difficulty synchronizing their circadian rhythms to light or dark cycles.

The findings suggest that people who have trouble sleeping or seasonal depression may be having a malfunction that is contributing to their inability to detect light, which in turn may adversely affect their biological clocks.
Sources:

* The Time of India April 29, 2008

* Nature April 23, 2008

This is a CRUCIAL part of health maintenance that many overlook. They are insensitive to the fact that electrical lighting is a relatively recent innovation and less than a century ago this simply was not available. This modern convenience has sabotaged the health of a large percentage of the population for not paying close attention to how to make adjustments for this modern-day convenience.

Organisms evolved to adjust themselves to predictable patterns of light and darkness, in a physiological cycle known as the circadian rhythm. Once artificial light effectively varied the length of a day, the average night's sleep decreased from around nine consistent hours to roughly seven, varying from one night to the next.

The irregularity prevents circadian rhythms from adjusting to a pattern, and creates a state of permanent "jet lag."

So while electricity and efficient lighting have clearly provided major benefits to society, these benefits come with a price -- the betrayal of your inner clock.

It would serve you well to do a thorough “light check” of your bedroom, as any source of light -- even one as tiny as the green glow from your clock radio -- could be interfering with your ability to sleep, and more importantly, your long term health and risk of developing cancer.

While it’s typically thought that your biological clock is what tells you when it’s time to wake up or go to sleep, light and dark signals actually control your biological clock. To get more specific, a part of your brain called the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) -- a group of cells in your hypothalamus -- controls your biological clock. And the cells that make up your SCN respond to light and dark signals.

Light actually travels through your eye’s optic nerve to your SCN, where it signals your body’s clock that it’s time to wake up. Light also signals your SCN to initiate other processes associated with being awake, such as raising your body temperature and producing hormones like cortisol.

Meanwhile, when your eyes signal to your SCN that it’s dark outside, your body will begin to produce melatonin, a hormone that helps you sleep and radically decreases your risk of cancer. There are many studies on this powerful association. The more your sleep is disrupted by light pollution, the lower your melatonin levels and the greater your risk of developing cancer becomes.

Melatonin is secreted primarily in your brain and at night it triggers a host of biochemical activities, including a nocturnal reduction in your body's estrogen levels. It’s thought that chronically decreasing your melatonin production at night -- as occurs when you’re exposed to nighttime light -- increases your risk of developing cancer.

In fact, one of the first studies linking cancer to light showed that blind women have a 36 percent lower risk of breast cancer compared to sighted women. Why? Because they are unreceptive to light. This means that their bodies maintain high melatonin levels at night regardless of how much light is in the room.

It really is a fascinating system.

Your body depends on your biological clock to steadily regulate your sleep/wake cycle, but when this process gets thrown off balance, it can wreak havoc on your health.

And it is actually quite easy to disrupt your body clock. For instance, all of the following can confuse your body and make it think you should be awake when you should be sleeping, or vice versa:

* Staying up late
* Working the night shift
* Turning on a light in the middle of the night
* Using a night light
* Switching time zones (jet lag)
* Eating in the middle of the night or too close to bedtime

Your body’s internal clocks (you actually have many, in your brain, lungs, liver, heart and even your skeletal muscles) influence so many things -- from your heart rate to body temperature and hormone production -- that when they’re thrown out of whack all kinds of things can happen. For instance, a disrupted body clock may cause you to you gain weight or increase your risk of cancer.

Making simple changes in your bedroom to keep the light out during the night can have a major impact on your sleep quality. Even the chiropractor at my office, Dr. Lloyd Fielder, was surprised at the benefit when he installed blackout drapes in his bedroom.

He was shocked at how much better he felt -- it radically improved the quality of his sleep. Personally, I sleep in a room that is so dark, it’s even pitch black at noon. You can achieve this in your own bedroom by:

* Installing blackout drapes
* Closing your bedroom door if light comes through it, and even putting a towel along the base to prevent light from seeping in
* Getting rid of your electric clock radio (or at least covering it up at night)
* Avoiding night lights of any kind
* Keeping all light off at night (even if you get up to go to the bathroom) -- this includes the TV!

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...aspx?source=nl

[Cinnabar]

I tried to look this up on net, got a few medical articles that are way too technical for me. All I know, is whether or not I'm likely to have a seizure on a given day does seem closely linked to how well rested I feel when I get up. If I feel very well rested, I never have seizures. If I feel groggy like I didn't sleep well enough, didn't have nice dreams, didn't go into a deep sleep, I wake up feeling nasty - and I know I better watch myself that day.

Is there research about that? Doe it have to do with REM sleep? Or with deep delta sleep? Maybe one had seizures in sleep and didn't remember them? What is the best way to "learn" to sleep in a way to promote the "right" kind of sleep? Any drugs affect it? (I know alcohol doesn't help, I never touch the stuff anymore.)

Anybody notice certain types of sleep affect whether or not they might have seizures?

Who knows, maybe this is one of the reasons WHY we have to sleep! Perhaps people with seizure problems need more sleep. Good reason to sleep in, hmm?

About seizures in sleep. On several occasions I've had a powerful loss of bladder control. I wake up immediately startled. I've come to understand (here in the Forum) that while sleeping I go through a Grand Mal Seizure and that the bladder "release" is a result of the seizure itself. I thought the loss of bladder control WAS the seizure. Now, how I sleep through a seizure is a mystery to me! I'll post that question but if anyone knows let me in on it. I'm on 600 mg of Lamictal...others and sleeping med-they help but is not a cureall.

I usually sleep in total darkness but when recently sleeping over at a friend's house despite the darkness I got no sleep at all. Probably new environment. When home I decided I'd sleep with the TV on low. Even with eyes closed the TV flashings were too distubing and a big trigger. My neurologist sad that having a piece of bread before taking nightime meds should help and on occasion this does help. My sleepings pattern is still off but I have some good nights sleeping through. I need to get on the net and learn much more about sleep and it's relationship to seizure activity because apart from stress (which planet should I relocate to?!) these two S's are major factors for relapse. Always - Laurie

[RobinN]

I thought this might interest those of you that have an increase in seizures or headaches with sleep.

Headaches can develop in people who have sleep apnea. This type of headache can either
awaken them from sleep or they can wake up in the morning with it. It is a migraine-type of
headache that is caused by the obstruction of the airway with then causes carbon dioxide(CO2) to build up in their bloodstream. This build up of CO2 is called hypercapnea. There is also a decrease in oxygen (O2) in the bloodstream which is called hypoxemia. When these two events combine the body responds by increasing blood flow to the brain by dilating the blood vessels that run through it. When these blood vessels dilate, within the enclosed compartment of the skull, pain results. As the person arouses and opens up the airway, the CO2 is decreased in the bloodstream through exhalation and O2 is elevated in the
bloodstream through inhalation. Awhile after normal CO2 and O2 levels are established in the body, the blood vessels will constrict and the pain will subside.

http://www.sleepnet.com/forum4a/messages/416.html

[RobinN]

I thought some people that have reported having sleep apnea would like to read these positive results by an individual.

In June 2005, I went to see Dr. Steven Scharf (director of the UM Sleep Disorders Center and a professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine) and he explained the program. He told me what it would consist of and how it would help me. After I decided I wanted to come in, I went in to get some tests done to see if I had sleep apnea.

I had two tests, which showed that I had a bad case of sleep apnea. They also said I was overweight and that I needed to get down to 180 pounds.

I went on a diet and lost 15 pounds, and I could tell the difference in my breathing. After seven months I lost all the weight I needed to.

During that time they also put me on a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) breathing machine, which I had to wear it when sleeping. It helped me to breathe well.

While on the CPAP I still had acid reflux, so I had the Nissen fundoplication operation for that. Dr. Roth performed the operation on June 21, 2005. This allowed the inflammation to improve, which would then allow my Zenker’s to be repaired later.

Once I lost weight I was able to get off the CPAP machine. They monitored and tested me and found out that I didn’t need the machine anymore.

http://www.umm.edu/sleep/chisholm.htm

Here is also a positive outcome to someone with irregular sleep patterns:
http://www.umm.edu/sleep/karen_denmark.htm