I have an 11.9 year old son with mild cerebral palsy/microcephaly. Last year he was dx with benign paroxysmal vertigo. He had been having strange episodes and we were concerned about possible seizures. No history of such until the last year. The episodes occur infrequently, average 2/month. Sometimes in a 2-week period, he'll have 2-3, and then a longer time period without any. He has some sensory issues - for example, he is very uncomfortable underneath a wide-open sky, or entering large buildings with high ceilings.
In the past three months, my son has had 2 disturbing episodes in his sleep. The first occurred at around 2 a.m. The 2nd occurred today at 6:30 am. We are jolted awake by him screaming like we've never heard before, by the time we arrive to his room, he is sitting up in bed shaking violently, heart pounding, hand over his mouth (nausea). I hold him tightly and it passes within 3-4 minutes. He does not scream or shake like this during a typical vertigo episode (in the daytime). Because of his speech deficit, it's hard to know exactly what's going on when this happens. He said this morning that he did not have a bad dream, that he was dizzy.
I have read that vertigo can sometimes wake someone from sleep. I assume that's what is going on. What causes vertigo when sleeping? Will he outgrow this? Is there anything we can do to eliminate this problem. It is quite disturbing for him, and for us as well. We received this dx last year, and am not sure what to do with it.
Thank You,
CyndiK