The latest research shows that up to 70% of Parkinson’s disease patients have sleeping problems. Research indicates that many PD patients report they they have problems falling asleep and/or staying asleep. Other patients say they have problems with sudden, involuntary sleep episodes during the day.
In extreme cases, some patients show REM-sleep behavior disorder (RBD). This is where people have extremely vivid and sometimes violent dreams before they even experience motor symptoms of the disease.
According to lead author Wiebke Schrempf, MD, Technische Universität Dresden, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Department of Neurology, Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dresden, Germany, the diagnosis and proper treatment of these sleep disorders are very important for improving the quality of life for PD patients.
The researchers note that many cases have multiple complexities, which makes it difficult to treat sleep problems in PD patients. One of the most difficult issues is how dopamine therapy, used to control PD motor symptoms, can worsen many sleep problems.
Research showed that taking less levodopa or dopamine can boost the quality of sleep by cutting down on motor symptoms. These include hypokinesia, or decreased body movement, dyskinesia, or abnormal voluntary movements, and tremor, all of which disrupt sleep. However, these drugs have side effects, one of which can be daytime drowsiness.
Other common conditions in Parkinson’s patients also can interfere with sleep, including dementia, depression and hallucinations. But some antidepressants also can disrupt sleep.
RBD seems to be a good indicator of an emerging neurodegenerative disease, such as PD. Meanwhile, other clinical symptoms associated with PD, including olfactory dysfunction and constipation, can often be caused by many other disorders.
Early indicators such as RBD can help to easier identify PD patients before they begin to experience motor symptoms, which is when PD therapy can usually have the most benefit.
Bedroom Equipment for PD Patients
To make sleeping as easy as possible, there are many bedroom and sleep-related products available. The Stable Bed Rail eases the process of standing up or sitting down in bed:
The Posey Bed Cradle elevates the sheets and blankets off of your foot, to reduce the chances of foot drop, which can be particularly common in PD patients:
These and other convenient bedroom products from the Wright Stuff can help you to get a good’s night rest, which is so important to manage your PD symptoms.
