Awakening from Sleep with Numbness and Indescribable Odd Feeling: Nocturnal Panic Attack or Sleep-Related Epilepsy?

Abstract

Paroxysmal events during sleep can be classified into parasomnias, sleep-related movements, psychiatric events, neurologic events, or medically related events. Diagnosis can be difficult because of the frequent overlap of clinical descriptors and lack of diurnal findings. We report a case of a 68-year-old man who presented to the hospital complaining of awakening from sleep with numbness, which was followed by an indescribable odd feeling. We discuss overlapping clinical features of nocturnal panic and sleep-related epilepsy.

Keywords

• nocturnal panic
• sleep-related epilepsy
• parasomnias