Sleep profiles in epilepsy patients undergoing monotherapy and polytherapy: A comparative cross-sectional study

Sleep disturbances commonly reported among epilepsy patients have a reciprocal relationship with the condition; While epilepsy and anti-seizure medications (ASMs) can disrupt sleep structure, disturbed sleep can also exacerbate the frequency of seizures. This study explored subjective sleep disturbances and compared sleep profiles in patients who underwent ASM monotherapy and polytherapy.

We enrolled 176 epilepsy patients who completed a structured questionnaire containing demographic and clinical information and the Persian versions of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to evaluate sleep quality, insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), and depressive symptoms, respectively. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests were employed to analyze the association between variables, and logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors predicting sleep disturbances.

Comparative analysis of mono/polytherapy groups revealed a significantly higher prevalence of insomnia and EDS among patients on polytherapy compared to monotherapy. However, no significant difference was found in sleep quality between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis revealed that a depressive mood serves as a robust predictor for sleep issues, whereas treatment type did not emerge as an independent predictor of sleep disturbances.

Our findings suggest that an increased number of ASMs does not inherently result in a higher incidence of sleep issues. Therefore, multiple ASMs may be prescribed when necessary to achieve improved seizure control. Furthermore, this study underscores the importance of comprehensive management that addresses seizure control and treating affective symptoms in individuals with epilepsy.