However, SUDEP is also linked to tonic seizures, hypermotor seizures, and clusters of myoclonic seizures. It happens most commonly in people who have severe nocturnal seizures, such as tonic-clonic seizures. As the name suggests, the exact causes of SUDEP are not known. This can lead to unsafe or high-risk situations.Ī SUDEP is a Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. Nocturnal epileptic seizures are difficult to recognise in children. Lack of sleep, stress, and certain sounds can trigger nocturnal seizures in some children. Most nocturnal seizures are brief and mainly occur at the beginning of the night or just before waking. Children may also have convulsions during a nocturnal seizure. This will often include movements of the shoulders, pelvis, arms or legs. If children have nocturnal (night-time) seizures, they will often make strange movements or adopt a strange position.

An epileptic seizure usually stops by itself after a while but in some cases, an intervention of some kind may be needed to stop the seizure. The best-known type of seizure is when a person loses consciousness and their whole body makes jerking movements (convulsions). Other symptoms include twitching of the corners of the mouth or brief difficulty speaking, as with Benign rolandic epilepsy. Make sure your child cannot hurt themselves during a seizure.Įpileptic seizures can be relatively unnoticeable, such as absence seizures, when they will briefly be totally unresponsive. Last but by no means least, ensure they are safe. In the meantime, stay with your child and reassure them by talking calmly. First of all, you should wait until the seizure has passed. If your child has had a seizure it is important that you follow a doctor’s instructions. There are various types of epilepsy with different types of seizures. Epilepsy can only be diagnosed by a specialist. These are not directly related to epilepsy. A low blood sugar level, headache, fever or an acute illness can also cause seizures. A single seizure need not mean that your child has epilepsy. Epilepsy can be difficult to diagnose in children. An epileptic seizure is caused by a temporary, often abrupt interruption of electrical signals between brain cells.

Nocturnal epilepsy