The impact of epilepsy and antiseizure medications on sleep: findings from a large European survey in adults with epilepsy and matched controls

•People with epilepsy (PWE) had poorer sleep quality than matched controls.•PWE on ≥3 antiseizure medications (ASMs) had worse sleep quality than those on two.•In PWE, poor sleep quality was associated with decreased quality of life.•Presence of depressive symptoms in PWE was also linked to poor sleep quality.•ASMs can significantly impact overall sleep quality and/or some aspects of sleep. To assess the impact of epilepsy and antiseizure medications (ASMs) on the sleep quality of people with epilepsy (PWE). A 30-minute online survey was conducted in five European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) among PWE taking >1 ASM and matched controls. Quality of sleep was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A global score >5 was considered indicative of poor sleep quality, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality. Associations between sleep quality (global PQSI) and overall quality of life (QoL; assessed using the 12-Item Short Form Survey [SF-12]) and sleep quality and depressive symptoms (assessed using the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy [NDDI-E]) were also evaluated. In total, 500 PWE and 500 matched controls were included. The mean global PSQI score was significantly higher in PWE than in controls (9.32 vs 7.56; p5 compared to 66% of controls (p