Epilepsy and sleep have a complicated, bi-directional relationship. Headaches are also intricately tied to these conditions, and at The Insomnia and Sleep Institute of Arizona, Dr. Vimala Sravanthi Vajjala specializes in working with patients struggling with epilepsy, sleep, and headaches. Sleep inherently affects epileptic seizures in regards to occurrence, time, length, and frequency. In fact, sleep deprivation—regardless of the reason—is a very common seizure trigger. There are different kinds of epilepsy, but some of the common syndromes are closely associated with sleep, thus being dubbed “sleep-related epilepsies.” For instance, those with benign Rolandic epilepsy typically have seizures at night (as do those with autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy). There are others who have generalized tonic-clonic seizures, which often occur 1 – 2 hours after waking up.
Of course, having epilepsy is going to inform other parts of your life, including sleep. If you already have a sleep disorder, epilepsy can exacerbate it. Some medications used to treat epilepsy are known for affecting sleep negatively, too. There are some prescriptions that can make it difficult to fall or stay asleep while others might make patients sleepy (and getting too much sleep is nearly as dangerous as not getting enough). If you have epilepsy, you need and deserve to manage this disorder while also taking care of your holistic well-being.
What Happens if You Don’t Get the Right Sleep?
Sleep hygiene is critical for everyone of all ages. If you don’t get enough sleep at night, in the short term you will be tired during the day. This can lead to an increased risk of car accidents, can trigger anxiety, lead to attention issues, and the odds of an injury at work or home can skyrocket. Being tired can also trigger overeating or binge-eating. In the long-term, lack of sleep can elevate blood pressure and is associated with an increased risk of stroke, obesity, heart attacks, depression, and many other issues.
Studies have shown that routinely getting too much sleep is also linked to other conditions and disorders. Napping more than 20 minutes per day is also counterproductive and can make it difficult to fall and stay asleep at night. The exact amount of sleep we need can vary a little bit person to person, but there isn’t that much wiggle room. We need less sleep as we get older. Newborns need 18 – 19 hours per day, toddlers need 11 – 14, preschoolers 10 – 13, school-aged children 6 – 13, teens 8 – 10 hours, young adults (ages 18 – 25) 7 – 9 hours, and adults up to 64 years old need 7 – 9 hours per night. Elders need 7 – 8 hours on average.
Epilepsy, Headaches, and You
If you have epilepsy and/or chronic headaches, the first step in getting the sleep you need is working with Dr. Vimala Sravanthi Vajjala. However, there are some standard best practices you can put into play prior to your consultation. For starters, aim to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day (including weekends). Using weekends to “catch up” on sleep is counterproductive. Spend the two hours (or more) before bedtime doing soothing activities by unplugging from electronics, taking a bath, meditating, or going on a walk.
Make sure the room you’re in is cool, dark, and quiet (white noise is the exception). Exercise during the day if you can (not at night), avoid caffeine at least eight hours before bedtime, and avoid alcohol and nicotine entirely. There are some basic tenets of getting good sleep that can help anyone. You may also want to talk to your doctor about your prescription medications for epilepsy or headaches to see if sleep issues are a possible side effect. Never change or stop prescriptions without talking to your doctor, but know that you may be able to work with a provider to find an alternative solution that works better for you.
If you are struggling with sleep and have epilepsy or headaches, help is available with no referral necessary. Contact Dr. Vimala Sravanthi Vajjala at The Insomnia and Sleep Institute today by calling the clinic or filling out the online contact form now.
