Resolved question:
Hi I'm a 14-year-old girl, and for probably a year or less I keep having these things in my sleep. My parent's think they don't matter apparently my mother has them sometimes or so she says. But I will be paralyzed and shaking and It feels like electricity is pulsing through my body and I can't move or talk or anything but I'm aware of what is happening the whole time, and all of a sudden it feels like I have to focus extra hard and I wake up and it's the scariest thing ever. I have no medical issues besides the occasional cold. I'm a super healthy person, a gifted student, overall pretty normal but these stupid "sleep seizures" scare me so much and it feels like they are getting worse. They almost always happen during a daytime nap too but sometimes in my sleep as well. No doctor has been able to answer my question, which is "what the heck is this?" Thanks hope somebody can help:)
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4 Days
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Hello, I understand your concern. These are a type of epilepsy restricted exclusively to sleep. Some people have it in daytime. Some may have during sleep. They occur in light sleep, soon after falling asleep, before waking or around arousal during the night. This is especially true in temporal lobe seizures, myoclonic seizures and atypical absence spells. They occur within first or second hour after going off to sleep (early seizures) or one to two hours before the first hour or so after awakening (early morning seizures). It may also occur during an afternoon nap and they are not limited to nighttime. Many are tonic-clonic but focal seizures can also occur during sleep. Sleep deprivation or a lack of sleep is a known trigger for seizures and can make more seizures likely. It is important to aim for optimum control of natural seizures though because sleep and seizures are closely related. They can interrupt sleep, sometimes significantly. Treatment of nonclinical seizures is similar to seizures of a similar nature that occur during the waking hours although sometimes the specialist may recommend a higher evening dose of antiseptic medication. Positive treatment is based on the type of seizures rather than on the time of occurrence. Regular sleep habits are important, especially to those with sleep related seizures. Sleep deprivation triggers people with epilepsy. Having seizures during sleep can cause daytime drowsiness, which itself can increase the risk of daytime seizures for people affected by seizures during sleep. Some people have difficulties sleeping or have interrupted sleep. Use sedatives that may ultimately aggravate the problem. Those who resort to coffee or other forms of stimulants exacerbate seizures if it is used in large amounts. Relaxation techniques or behavioral training may establish a more efficient sleep pattern. Regarding safety procedures: Use low bed with padded headboards. Bunks are not recommended. Avoid large soft pillows; use anti-smother safety pillow or no pillow. Keep heavy furniture away from the bedside to prevent injury. Use safety mats on the floor next to bed, wall mounted lamps pose less safety risks. Smoking in bed is unwise for everyone. Use non-inflammable bedding and a smoke alarm, avoid coarse carpets, a protective mat will suffice. I would suggest you to consult your neurologist for further assessment. Hope this helps. Thank you.