Sleep Deprivation and seizures

[RunningGirl85]

I think I figured out my number one trigger - sleep deprivation. I don't mean one night of staying up all night either - as far as I know, that has not actually caused too many issues for me. For me it seems to be several nights of not enough sleep. The question is - what is "not enough" for me???

For the past several days I've been extremely tired for no good reason. Yesterday around 11 I took a short nap (about 45 minutes) and woke up feeling all feverish and my face was all red, but it went away on its own in a little bit. I was thinking maybe I was fighting something and that's why I was abnormally tired - I don't know. I was getting around 6.5-7.5 hours of sleep the past few nights, though I did take a three hour nap the day before yesterday, and still went to sleep around 10 p.m. that night, so I think I needed it. I also got around 10-11 hours of sleep a night during the weekend. I thought maybe the sleepiness was the Keppra, which I've mostly adjusted to, but I guess the body can do weird things sometimes. Last night, however, I had difficulty falling asleep, and then this morning I woke up early and couldn't fall back asleep. UGH. Now this morning I keep having partials. At least I think they are partials.... I was walking, felt weird, and then got that "fluttery" feeling in my stomach, and now I'm dizzy/light-headed (actually I've been dealing with dizziness a bit the past few days or so, but it didn't feel like aura dizziness - more like vertigo - because I didn't have any of the other accompanying weirdness, so I attributed it to the Keppra).

Does this happen to any of you? It's like, I need a bunch of sleep for a few days.... then I won't be able to sleep, then I get partials. This is the same thing that happened before my last tonic clonic. I wasn't REALLY sleep deprived, but was getting around 6-8 hours of sleep a night for a few nights, then lo and behold, I feel weird in the morning and have a tonic-clonic in the afternoon. I feel like if my body actually needs that sleep I'd be able to sleep! And damn the Army for putting me in a medical unit and not letting me be deployed because of seizures and then making me wake up early anyways.... Sorry - a little frustrated right now!

 

[Nakamova]

Fatigue is the #1 seizure trigger overall. It's especially insidious because seizures also cause fatigue. A vicious cycle occurs... When you are sleeping poorly, is there any chance that you are having seizures in your sleep? Have you had a sleep study done?

 

[RunningGirl85]

I guess it's possible I'm having seizures in my sleep but I don't know. I haven't seen any signs of it except maybe my sheets being every.which way, but I'm usually aware of moving a lot. Mostly I have weird/vivid dreams but that might be.the Keppra. I have never had a sleep study done but maybe I'll ask about it.

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[Silat]

Weird vivid dreams are part of taking Keppra

I agree that you should consider a sleep study. It sounds like you're not getting into restful sleep.

Also, if you keep a journal of some sort, it might be good to log when you go to bed, when you wake up, and the quality of sleep it felt like you had. That information might be useful later on so it'd be good to log it now.

 

[RunningGirl85]

That's a good plan I got a decent amount last night (close to 9 hours), but woke up sooo exhausted this morning. I'm wondering if I'm not getting partials in my sleep? I'm 95% sure I'm not having tonic-clonics, but could partials be as exhausting? Before I fell asleep last night I was feeling weird, and this morning I have that weird feeling in my gut that I get sometimes with partials, plus the weird sort of dizziness (that I had before I fell asleep last night as well). I'm wondering if I'm getting that before the Keppra has time to start taking effect, because it seems to affect me most in the morning (right before/after I take my meds), and in the evening right before/after I take my medication (I take it around 8 a.m./p.m., and I wake up around 5:45-6:00 a.m. and try to sleep between 9-10). Usually the amount of sleep I got last night is plenty, but again, I'm super exhausted today for no good reason... So weird.

 

[Nakamova]

Partials could definitely be making you tired. Every time you have a seizure it's preventing your brain from getting the rest it would get if you were going through the normal phases of sleep.