Seizures while sleeping can be triggered by underlying neurological conditions, changes in your brains electrical activity during sleep and even sleep disturbances.
Some other triggers of seizures while you sleep include drug/alcohol withdrawal, brain tumors, stroke, brain infections and head injuries.
The most common trigger of sleep seizures or nocturnal seizures are changes in the electrical activity in the brain during certain stages of sleeping and waking.
Nighttime seizures occur most often in the early morning, around 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. , and occur least often shortly after falling asleep.
Seizures while sleeping can look like a simple arousal from sleep, at times confused as a nightmare or night terror.
The seizures while sleeping can also be more involved movements like twisting, turning, pelvic thrusting, pedaling, grimacing, wandering, startling, and vocalizations like screaming, moaning or crying.
Conditions that can be mistaken for nocturnal seizures include.
Parasomnias.
NREM arousal disorders (confusional arousals, sleep walking, sleep terrors) Parasomnias associated with REM sleep (REM sleep behavior disorder [RBD]).
Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.
Sleep related dissociative disorders.
Dehydration can also increase your chance of having nocturnal seizures.
When the balance of your electrolytes are upset, it can lead to abnormal electrical activity in the brain, potentially triggering seizures at night or even during the day.