The idea of sleep deprivation before an EEG is so that you are more likely to sleep during the test and then they get a section of the study that looks at your brain waves when you are sleeping. Lots of people have EEG's when they are already on anti-seizure meds and it doesn't make the EEG normal. The ideal situation is if you actually have a seizure during the EEG so that they can record information about your brain waves when you are in a seizure but, even if you don't have one during the test, there is information to be gleaned from it.

my daughter has trauma induced epilepsy. when she went in for a sleep deprived eeg it did show a seisure. which is rare to catch one from what i was told. and the sleep deprivation is to make your brain tired and stressed so it will have a seisure, now if you dont have one during the eeg doesnt mean you dont have epilepsy just you were not stressed enough in your brain to have one. I hope this helps.

i have had 3 eeg's. my first was when my dr was testing to see if i was indeed epileptic, which a seizure into the eeg showed. i didnt sleep at all that night as i wanted to strain my brain as much as possible incase i did have epilepsy. i believe the maximum is 4 hours sleep? we discovered i have nocturnal epilepsy, and begun the meds. had another eeg when the meds had settled, mayb 6 months and it was a clear eeg. had another when i felt ill for a month or so but that came clear too. basically an EEG is a forced seizure. the doctor is putting you in the most dangerous situation to induce a seizure hope this helps

I was diagnosed mildly epileptic in 1999. I have had no seizures since then, although I have not been taking the medications since I can't afford them . . .my doctor suggests getting another EEG to see if in fact I have epilepsy, but I know there are some people who just have abnormal EEGs . . .is there anything I can do to prepare for the EEG that will increase my odds of getting a clear one?