Gifton Noel-Williams fired them ahead after an even first half and Joel Lynch added the killer second, making Nicky Forster's late strike for Ipswich a mere consolation.
The three points keep Brighton alive and was only their second win in 18 outings, while Ipswich, who drop to 14th, are facing finishing in their lowest position in the Football League for 40 years after seven games without a win.
Town started well with Darren Currie firing in two volleys in the opening three minutes.
Brighton had a great chance on six minutes as first Shane Supple saved from Paul Reid and then Fabian Wilnis produced a goal-saving tackle as Kerry Mayo prepared to tap in from six yards.
Matt Richards saw a 25-yard volley whistle past the post before a looping Danny Haynes header had to be tipped over the bar by a back-pedalling Wayne Henderson.
The visitors could have scored on 35 minutes as Richard Carpenter's free-kick found its way to Guy Butters at the far post and his header back was missed by Colin Kazim-Richards close in and Town scraped the ball away.
Henderson dived to save Richards' 20-yarder before Brighton scored right on the whistle - Reid breaking forward in space to pick out Noel-Williams who turned Jason De Vos and fired past Supple.
Ipswich's expected riposte at the start of the second half never came and in fact Brighton proved the more threatening.
Kazim-Richards was denied by a low Supple save and then Noel-Williams mis-timed a free header from a Carpenter corner.
Owen Garvan had another shot blocked before Ipswich sent on a third forward on the hour, with Forster replacing Jimmy Juan in his first outing since a knee cartilage injury in late December.
He almost laid on an equaliser for Haynes on 69 minutes but although the youngster tucked his shot beyond Henderson, Paul McShane was in the right place to clear off the line.
Supple dived to palm a low Noel-Williams shot around the post, before Kazim-Richards danced past two defenders and drove his effort against the post with Wilnis throwing himself in the way of Lynch's follow-up.
From the ensuing corner the ball was cleared out to Reid who crossed for Kazim-Richards to challenge Supple and the ball dropped perfectly for Lynch to prod home despite De Vos' best efforts on the line.
Substitute Joe Gatting was denied by a point-blank save from Supple after latching on to a weak De Vos back header as the game seemed set to peter out.
It was brought back to life in the final minute of normal time when Currie's clip into the box was headed back across goal by Alan Lee for Forster to head powerfully beyond Henderson.
But despite one or two free-kicks in dangerous positions Brighton held on comfortably.