Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Pediatric sleep and epilepsy

  • Published:
Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Sleep disorders are common in childhood. The prevalence of childhood sleep disorders is higher in chronic neurologic disorders, specifically epilepsy. Sleep needs, requirements, and structure are different in children compared with adults. These variables are disrupted severely in patients with epilepsy. Electroencephalogram abnormalities, nocturnal seizures, and medications may contribute further to sleep problems and affect daytime functioning. These sleep disturbances may worsen seizure control and affect quality of life. This article offers an overview of the normal sleep patterns in children, describes the interaction of electroencephalogram, sleep, and commonly found sleep disorders, and reviews the current literature of the main sleep disturbances found in children with epilepsy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References and Recommended Reading

  1. Owens JA, Spirito A, McGuinn M, Nobile C: Sleep habits and sleep disturbance in elementary school-aged children. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2000, 21:27–36.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Garcia-Jimenez MA, Salcedo-Aguilar F, Rodriguez-Almonacid FM, et al.: The prevalence of sleep disorders among adolescents in Cuenca, Spain [Spanish]. Rev Neurol 2004, 39:18–24.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. National Sleep Foundation: Sleep in America Poll 2006. Washington, DC: National Sleep Foundation; 2006.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Owens JA, Witmans M: Sleep problems. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care 2004, 34:154–179.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Chervin RD, Archbold KH, Panahi P, Pituch KJ: Sleep problems seldom addressed at two general pediatric clinics. Pediatrics 2001, 107:1375–1380.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Owens JA: The practice of pediatric sleep medicine: results of a community survey. Pediatrics 2001, 108:E51.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Quine L: Sleep problems in children with mental handicap. J Ment Defic Res 1991, 35(Pt 4):269–290.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Liu X, Hubbard JA, Fabes RA, Adam JB: Sleep disturbances and correlates of children with autism spectrum disorders. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2006, 37:179–191.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Alanis-Guevara I, Pena E, Corona T: Sleep disturbances, socioeconomic status, and seizure control as main predictors of quality of life in epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2005, 7:481–485.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Carskadon MA, Dement WC: Normal human sleep: an overview. In Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine. Edited by Kryger MH, Roth T, Dement WC. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2005:13–23.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Weissbluth M: Naps in children: 6 months-7 years. Sleep 1995, 18:82–87.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Hoban TF, Chervin RD: Pediatric sleep-related breathing disorders and restless legs syndrome: how children are different. Neurologist 2005, 11:325–337.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Kotagal S, Pianosi P: Sleep disorders in children and adolescents. BMJ 2006, 332:828–832.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Mindell JA, Owens JA: Obstructive sleep apnea and sleep disordered breathing. In A Clinical to Pediatric Sleep. Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Problems. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2003:106–122.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Gozal D: Sleep-disordered breathing and school performance in children. Pediatrics 1998, 102(3 Pt 1):616–620.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Gottlieb DJ, Vezina RM, Chase C, et al.: Symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing in 5-year-old children are associated with sleepiness and problem behaviors. Pediatrics 2003, 112:870–877.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Clinical practice guideline: diagosis and management of childhood obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Pediatrics 2002, 109:704–712.

  18. Macleod S, Ferrie C, Zuberi SM: Symptoms of narcolepsy in children misinterpreted as epilepsy. Epileptic Disord 2005, 7:13–17.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Wszolek ZK, Groover RV, Klass DW: Seizures presenting as episodic hypersomnolence. Epilepsia 1995, 36:108–110.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Circadian rhythm sleep disorders. In The International Classification of Sleep Disorders. Diagnostic and Coding Manual. Westchester, NY: American Academy of Sleep Medicine; 2005:118–120.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Picchietti DL, Walters AS: Moderate to severe periodic limb movement disorder in childhood and adolescence. Sleep 1999, 22:297–300.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Chervin RD, Archbold KH, Dillon JE, et al.: Associations between symptoms of in attention, hyperactivity, restless legs, and periodic leg movements. Sleep 2002, 25:213–218.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Parasomnias. In The International Classification of Sleep Disorders. Diagnostic and Coding Manual. Westchester, NY: American Academy of Sleep Medicine; 2005;139–176.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Tassinari CA, Mancia D, Bernardina BD, Gastaut H: Pavor nocturnus of non-epileptic nature in epileptic children. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1972, 33:603–607.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Silvestri R, Bromfield E: Recurrent nightm ares and disorders of arousal in temporal lobe epilepsy. Brain Res Bull 2004, 63:369–376.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Cortesi F, Giannotti F, Ottaviano S: Sleep problems and daytime behavior in childhood idiopathic epilepsy. Epilepsia 1999, 40:1557–1565.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Terzaghi M, Sartori I, Mai R, et al.: Sleep-related minor motor events in nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsia 2007, 48:335–341.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Legros B, Bazil CW: Effects of antiepileptic drugs on sleep architecture: a pilot study. Sleep Med 2003, 4: 51–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Shechter T, Shorer Z, Kramer U, et al.: Adverse reactions of topiramate and lamotrigine in children. Pharmaco epidemiol Drug Saf 2005, 14:187–192.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Mendez M, Radtke RA: Interactions between sleep and epilepsy. J Clin Neurophysiol 2001, 18:106–127.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Hindmarch I, Dawson J, Stanley N: A double-blind study in healthy volunteers to assess the effects on sleep of pregabalin compared with alprazolam and placebo. Sleep 2005, 28:187–193.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Fountain NB, Kim JS, Lee SI: Sleep deprivation activates epileptiform discharges independent of the activating effects of sleep. J Clin Neurophysiol 1998, 15:69–75.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Badawy RA, Curatolo JM, Newton M, et al.: Sleep deprivation increases cortical excitability in epilepsy: syndrome-specific effects. Neurology 2006, 67:1018–1022.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Frucht MM, Quigg M, Schwaner C, Fountain NB: Distribution of seizure precipitants among epilepsy syndromes. Epilepsia 2000, 41:1534–1539.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Sammaritano M, Gigli GL, Gotman J: Interictal spiking during wakefulness and sleep and the localization of foci in temporal lobe epilepsy. Neurology 1991, 41(Pt 1):290–297.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Herman ST, Walczak TS, Bazil CW: Distribution of partial seizures during the sleep-wake cycle: differences by seizure onset site. Neurology 2001, 56:1453–1459.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Bazil CW, Walczak TS: Effects of sleep and sleep stage on epileptic and nonepileptic seizures. Epilepsia 1997, 38:56–62.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Herman ST, Walczak TS: Effects of sleep on seizures. In Sleep and Epilepsy: The Clinical Spectrum. Edited by Bazil CW, Malow BA, Sammaritano MR: Amsterdam: Elsevier Science BV; 2002:165–180.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Westmoreland BF, Gomez MG: Infantile spasma. In Epilepsy: Electroclinical Syndromes. Edited by Luders H, Lesser RP: New York: Springer Verlag; 1987:49–71.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Donat JF, Wright FS: Sleep, epilepsy, and the EEG in infancy and childhood. J Child Neurol 1989, 4:84–94.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Yan Liu X, Wong V: Spectrum of epileptic syndromes with electrical status epilepticus during sleep in children. Pediatr Neurol 2000, 22:371–379.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Maganti R, Sheth RD, Hermann BP, et al.: Sleep architecture in children with idiopathic generalized epilepsy. Epilepsia 2005, 46:104–109.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Sun SZ, Wang MW, Feng ZH, et al.: Relationship between idiopathic epilepsy and sleep macrostructure in children [Chinese]. Di Yi Jun Yi Da Xue Xue Bao 2005, 25:354–356.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Myatchin I, Lagae L: Sleep spindle abnorm alities in children with generalized spike-wave discharges. Pediatr Neurol 2007, 36:106–111.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Zaiwalla Z, Stores G: Sleep abnormalities in children with epilepsy. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1989, 72:29P.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Stores G, Wiggs L, Campling G: Sleep disorders and their relationship to psychological disturbance in children with epilepsy. Child Care Health Dev 1998, 24:5–19.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Becker DA, Fennell EB, Carney PR: Sleep disturbance in children with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2003, 4:651–658.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Wirrell E, Blackman M, Barlow K, et al.: Sleep disturbances in children with epilepsy compared with their nearest-aged siblings. Dev Med Child Neurol 2005, 47:754–759.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Maganti R, Hausman N, Koehn M, et al.: Excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep complaints among children with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2006, 8:272–277.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Koh S, Ward SL, Lin M, Chen LS: Sleep apnea treatment improves seizure control in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Pediatr Neurol 2000, 22:36–39.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Carney PR, Kohrman MH: Relation between epilepsy and sleep during infancy and childhood. In Sleep and Epilepsy: The Clinical Spectrum. Edited by Bazil CW, Malow BA, and Sammaritano MR. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science BV; 2002:359–372.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. New York Sleep Institute, 724 Second Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Alcibiades J. Rodriguez MD

Authors
  1. Alcibiades J. Rodriguez MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alcibiades J. Rodriguez MD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rodriguez, A.J. Pediatric sleep and epilepsy. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 7, 342–347 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-007-0052-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-007-0052-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation