This passes into the clonic phase, in which the extremities twitch and jerk. The entire seizure is usually over in a few minutes, followed by a brief sleep, usually about five minutes. This is followed by a slow return to consciousness, which can take from a few minutes to several hours. During these, which can last from a few seconds to a minute, a person might stare, blink or make other small facial movements. Although the person generally remains motionless, he or she isn't conscious.
Absence seizures can occur several times a day, and tend to come in clusters.
They're most common in children, and school performance can suffer. Sometimes these children are misdiagnosed as having attention deficit disorder. Just as the causes of many cases of epilepsy elude doctors, so too do the forces that set off a seizure. There are some known risk factors, including too little sleep and too much stress. However, the most common cause is forgetting to take your medication.