Parkinson's Disease Foundation posits that individuals with Parkinson's disease--PD--experience an extremely difficult time with sleep/wake cycles and compromised quality of sleep. In most PD cases, the individual does not have one sleep disorder but several recurring all the time. The good news is that diagnostic and pharmacological advances have made tremendous strides in bringing relief and much-needed rest.
Restless Legs Syndrome
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke defines restless legs syndrome--RLS--as a neurological disorder that exhibits symptoms of abnormal twitching sensations and pain that can impede sleep. More than 80 percent of individuals with RLS also have a similar problem related to uncontrollable jerking movements and frequent awakenings during the night increasing the risks and likelihood of sleep deprivation.
REM Behavioral Disorder
REM behavioral disorder--RBD--is a condition in which the individual acts on their dreams while they are happening. The National Sleep Foundation finds that more than 90 percent of those individuals diagnosed with this disorder are men older than the age of 50 and could be viewed as an early indication--thanks to lesions in the brain stem--of PD. During REM sleep, the brain is a hub of electrical activity, yet the body remains mostly paralyzed. When an individual had RBD, the paralysis is not present, which ultimately leads to talking, shouting, punching, kicking and serious injury to the individual or their bed mate.
Excessive Daytime Somnolence
Excessive Daytime Somnolence--EDS--is a common complaint among those with PD based on multiple sleep disturbances. In an article by O'Suilleabhain and Dewey titled "Contributions of Dopaminergic Drugs and Disease Severity to Daytime Sleepiness in Parkinson's Disease," there seem to be mixed research findings related to EDS and how greatly Levadopa--a dopaminergic drug used for PD--influences excessive drowsiness. It seems as though some reports place PD itself as the primary cause--the degenerative nature of the disease--and Levadopa secondary to sleep disturbances by other causes.
Insomnia
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute describes insomnia as difficulty falling or staying asleep, or a combination of the two. Lack of quality sleep and sleep hours can compromise the immune system and jeopardize health. In addition, many behavioral disturbances created by insomnia are not as easily reversed as they are preventable.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which the individual fails to take a breath while sleeping many times during sleep--lasting for a minute or more without oxygen. The American Sleep Apnea Association presents three forms of the disorder: obstructive, central and mixed types. Obstructive type is linked to a blockage in the airway--due to soft tissue collapse at the back of the throat, preventing a full breath. In central sleep apnea, the brain simply fails to signal muscle contractions needed to take in air and exhale. In mixed type, there is a dangerous combination of the two.
References
- Parkinson's Disease Foundation:"Sleep Disturbances"; 2010
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:"Restless Legs Syndrome"; Mar 2010
- National Sleep Foundation: REM Behavior Disorder and Sleep; 2009
- Archives of Neurology: Contributions of Dopaminergic Drugs; May 2010
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Sleep Insomnia, Lack of Sleep; March 2009
