Seizure triggers

What are seizure triggers? 

In some people with epilepsy, certain situations can make a seizure more likely to happen. These situations are called ‘triggers’. The things that trigger one person’s seizures might not affect someone else with epilepsy in the same way. Seizure triggers are individual to you. 

It’s important to be aware of what your triggers are and avoid them, where you can. This could help you to have fewer seizures.

Examples of seizure triggers 

Here are some of the most common seizure triggers for people with epilepsy: 

Missing anti-seizure medication 

Missing your anti-seizure medication is one of the most common seizure triggers. Missing even one dose of anti-seizure medication can lead to a seizure. And stopping medication altogether can be very dangerous. 

It is really important to take your anti-seizure medication regularly as prescribed by your doctor – at the right dose and at the right time. This will help to keep a steady level of the medicine in your blood.  

When changing to a new medication, the medication will be closely monitored. You should tell your healthcare team about any side effects.

Not sleeping well and feeling tired 

When you don’t sleep well, don’t get enough sleep or your sleep is disrupted it can increase the risk of an epileptic seizure. And it can also lead to more intense, longer-lasting seizures. 

We don’t know exactly why not sleeping well triggers seizures, but there is a definite link between your sleeping pattern and seizures. During the sleep–wake cycle, there are changes in electrical activity in the brain, as well as hormonal activity. 

If you consistently have more seizures when you don’t sleep well, it’s important to find out what causes the poor or disrupted sleep – and avoid this in future. 

A good night’s sleep leaves you feeling refreshed the next day – and children need more sleep than adults. But it’s not just about how much sleep – the quality of sleep matters too. So, turn off all devices – TV, mobiles, tablets – one hour before bedtime. 

Stress 

We don’t know exactly why stress could trigger seizures. But many people with epilepsy say that when they’re feeling stressed, they are more likely to have a seizure. 

For some people, feeling stressed can lead to other things, such as feeling anxious, not sleeping or eating well. These things can also increase your risk of having a seizure. 

Find out about things you can do to help with stress.

Illness or fever (high temperature) 

For some people, a high temperature due to an infection or illness can trigger seizures. This may be a common trigger for some children. 

Photosensitivity (flashing or flickering lights) 

Only about 3 in every 100 children with epilepsy have photosensitive epilepsy (sensitive to flashing or flickering lights). 

How will I know if I have photosensitive epilepsy? 

EEG test results will show that there are changes to the electrical impulses in the brain when you’re looking at flashing lights. 

A flicker rate of 5–30 times a second is most likely to cause problems. 

Other triggers could include: 

• Geometric shapes 

• Patterns, such as stripes and checks 

• Sunlight reflecting on water 

• Light shining through a row of trees 

How to manage your photosensitivity  

If you have been diagnosed with photosensitive epilepsy, try to avoid any known photosensitive seizure trigger.  

If you do see a trigger, you should not close your eyes, as this can increase the risk of a seizure. You should cover one eye with the palm of your hand and look away from the trigger. 

Tips for when you’re using screens:  

• If you are playing a video game, make sure you in a well-lit room, at least 3m (9ft) from a TV screen or 1m (3ft) from a computer screen.  
• If possible, you should use a remote control to change TV channels. 
• If you go to the TV, try to cover one eye with the palm of your hand. 
• Don’t play a game on screen when you are tired, as this increases the risk of a seizure. 
• Try to take regular 10-minute breaks when you have played for 45 minutes and try to rest between on-screen games. 

Newer TV screens – including LCD and plasma – are less likely to trigger a seizure than older TV screens. This is because they either don’t flicker or have a high flicker frequency.

Periods (menstrual cycle)  

Some people are more likely to have seizures at certain times of their period (menstrual cycle).  

Hormonal changes in adolescence may affect epilepsy. Some seizures may stop at puberty, and some may happen more often. Hormonal changes linked to the menstrual cycle (periods) may cause seizures – this is known as ‘catamenial epilepsy’. 

If you think your periods may be affecting your epilepsy, then it’s a good idea to keep a diary of your monthly cycle and seizures. This will help you to spot any patterns. And if you do spot any patterns, talk to your epilepsy specialist. 

Download a seizure diary.

Alcohol or recreational drugs  

Having one or two alcoholic drinks occasionally is usually okay for most adults (over 18) with epilepsy. But drinking a lot of alcohol can increase your risk of having seizures.  

It’s not a good idea to take recreational drugs. They can be dangerous and can trigger seizures. 

Drinking alcohol and taking drugs can also affect your sleep, which can make you more tired and likely to forget to take your anti-seizure medication. This can also increase your risk of having a seizure. 

If you’re over 18 and want to know more about whether it’s safe to drink when you have epilepsy, check out our guide to alcohol and epilepsy.

There are lots of other things that could be possible triggers for some people or individual to you. If you think there are specific things that can trigger your seizures, this can help you to predict when they’re more likely to happen and take care to avoid those things or plan for it. 

Managing Sleepovers 

If you’re worried about going for a sleepover, it’s a good idea to talk about it and plan.  

Make sure the parents or carers you will be staying with know: 

• You have epilepsy 
• What your seizures look like 
• What triggers your seizures, e.g. staying up too late and playing computer games for long periods without a break 
• How to manage seizures – make sure that they are comfortable about doing this 
• What to do in an emergency

Also make sure the other children at the sleepover: 

• Know about your epilepsy 
• Understand that they need to get an adult as soon as a seizure happens. 

It might help to ease into sleepovers. You could start by hosting a sleepover at your house. Or your parents could pick you up at an agreed time before bedtime and then you could work up to staying overnight.