Childhood epilepsy and sleep

Table 1 Effects of anti-epileptic drugs on sleep

Antiepileptic	Effect on sleep
Benzodiazepines and barbiturates[70,71]	Reduce sleep latency Decrease the amount of REM sleep Benzodiazepines reduce slow wave sleep Increase incidence of OSA
Phenytoin[70,72,73]	Increases light sleep Decreases sleep efficiency Most studies show decreased REM sleep
Ethosuximide	May cause sleep disturbances, and night terrors
Carbamazepine[72,74,75]	Reduction in REM sleep particularly with acute treatment Effective in treatment of restless legs syndrome sleep disorder
Valproate[73]	May increase stage 1 sleep Could worsen OSA through weight gain
Lamotrigine[75,76]	May cause decreases in slow wave sleep May cause insomnia and sleep disturbance Effective in treatment of restless legs syndrome
Gabapentin, pregabalin, and tiagabine[76-81]	Enhance slow wave sleep and sleep continuity Gabapentin is effective in treatment of restless legs syndrome Pregabalin may cause insomnia and abnormal dreams
Levetiracetam[79,80]	Has little effect or an increase in sleep continuity and slow wave sleep
Zonisamide, rufinamide, oxcarbazepine, and topiramate[82,83]	Have no known effects on sleep and sleep disorders May cause insomnia

REM: Rapid eye movement; OSA: Obstructive sleep apnea.