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Epilepsy and Sleep

Epilepsy is a paroxysmal disorder caused by abnormal electrical discharges of the brain. As it is characterized by episodic seizures with intervening normal neurological states, some temporal patterns of seizure attacks can be traced. Sleep and wakefulness patterns are one of several factors influencing seizure occurrence. In this article, physiological and pathological influences of sleep on the seizure phenomenon were reviewed. Understanding this relationship between sleep and epilepsy might lead to better understanding of sleep and epilepsy themselves, thus leading to better diagnosis and treatment of each disease.