Sleep disorders and epilepsy: Things that go bump in the night ... and day

It has long been known that sleep and sleep deprivation affect epilepsy; therefore, many sleep disorders may affect epilepsy as well as mimic epilepsy. The two most common symptoms that must be differentiated ave confusional arousals from sleep and abnormal movements in sleep. In this presentation, we review the components of normal human sleep, common sleep disorders, and their effects on and differentiation from seizures. The combination of video monitoring, digital EEG, and the patient's history must be used to formulate the diagnosis.