Mohsen  Aghaee Hakak,MD Neurologist, Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, Razavi Hospital, Mashhad,Iran

Sleep and epilepsy are closely related. Hypersynchronization occurs during sleep and this phenomenon exacerbates epileptic seizures and epileptiform activities in some epileptic syndromes. Certain epilepsies are associated with sleep, especially in children. Epilepsy may aggravate by both sleep and sleep deprivation. Sleep disorders, on the other hand, are commonly seen in patients with epilepsy. Effective treatment of sleep disorders, especially sleep apnea, can improve the control of seizure attacks. In addition, the quality and quantity of sleep can be affected by seizures or antiepileptic drugs. Some sleep disorders, such as parasomnias, can mimic epileptic seizures and make it difficult to differentiate from epilepsy.

Given the above, screening, diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders are an important part of the treatment and care of epileptic patients.

Keywords: sleep, epilepsy, parasomnia