One of the early signs of Parkinson’s disease is sleep problems. Problems with sleeping can occur before you ever experience some of the common motor symptoms of the disease, such as tremors, rigidity and slow movement.
Some of the most common sleep problems associated with Parkinson’s include:
- Day time sleepiness
- Insomnia
- Nightmares
- Sleep attacks
- REM sleep behavior disorder – acting out your dreams when asleep
- Leg movement disorder
- Restless leg symptoms
- Sleep apnea
- Frequent nighttime urination
According to a recent study at UCLA, there is an association between this disease and narcolepsy. This is a disorder that is brought on by the inability of the brain to regulate the sleep and wake cycles normally. The study showed that people with the disease and those who have narcolepsy each have a loss of orexin/hypocretic cells in the brain. But there is no reason to think that people who have narcolepsy are at a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s. The study noted that the cause of the loss of hypocretin in disease patients is probably different from the cause of the loss in people with narcolepsy.
Parkinson’s disease can cause sleeping problems, but most are manageable with the help of your doctor.
Some researchers also think there could be a link between REM sleep behavior disorder and the development of the disease. One clinical study round that as many as 75% of patients with the REM disorder developed Parkinson’s disease. Also, people who have the disease have more of a risk of having restless legs syndrome, which is a serious disruptor of sleep.
People with Parkinson’s also have problems with being sleepy during the day. One study even found that up to 76% of Parkinson’s patients had this problem. Of course, these problems and symptoms related to sleeping can have a serious impact on one’s quality of light. So, it is very important to have these problems treated effectively by a physician.
Effective Parkinson’s Sleep Aids
To help the Parkinson’s patient to have a more restful and safer sleep, there are many good Parkinson’s supplies to help in the bedroom. Bed Rail Advantage gives you a helping hand when you want to sit up in bed. There is plenty of surface area to grab onto, and you can also store various small items in the Bed Rail organizer so you can reach them easily.
The Posey Bed Cradle is very effective to hold up your sheets and blankets to prevent the Parkinson’s patient from developing foot drop. Foot drop is where there is difficulty to lift the front area of the foot. This can make walking difficult as you will tend to drag the front of the foot when you walk. Foot drop is a common side effect of many neurological problems, such as Parkinson’s disease.
With proper care from your doctor, you will be able to minimize most of the common sleeping problems associated with Parkinson’s.
