I'm a recently dx 52 year old who has been struggling with sleep quality. All things being equal (good sleep hygiene, etc.), am I the only one who's symptoms are worse after a poor nights sleep? When I sleep well, particularly in the morning, I almost feel like I don't have PD. When I sleep poorly, like last night, my left side muscle tension is kicking upon waking and it's tough to get on top of it. If I'm not alone, what do you do to manage that? John
Poor sleep leading to increased symptoms - Cure Parkinson's
Poor sleep leading to increased symptoms
Hi Jockboy17,
Talk to your doctor to give you a sleep aid.I use melatonin 5mg.
I use Valerian root when I need help sleeping
Hi. I have the same problem. Melotonin does not always work. I feel great when I sleep well but when I don’t I struggle all day.
Melatonin is dicey. Your body can let your pill take over and not produce any of its own. It can help to use a GABA precursor like Kavinace. GABA itself is not absorbed well. I have heard that 5-HTP can be used by your body to increase its own melatonin and serotonin. But that kind of intervention needs to be reviewed by someone who understands the pharmaceuticals you are using concurrently.
For me it is very likely that my PD is caused by complex-PTSD. This is often caused by a long-term relationship with someone having Narcissistic Personality Disorder as in my case. I ended up need zolpidem in a moderate size dose. Now I rely on a very small dose of clonazepam. Magnesium is supposed to help us relax and it is virtually certain that you and I are deficient in it. I have discovered that long-term use of Earthing sheets really does reduce the positive ionic charge in my body. Positive charge is a root of inflammation and free radical damage. It is many, many little things we do that add up to the best sleep. Do them all!
I too believe that trauma or excessive amounts of toxic stress lead to these kinds of diagnosis. Thanks for the reply. I also have resumed use of klonopin along with a thc/cbd tincture. It seems I don't wake up as early when i take a small dose of the klonopin. double edged sword I know but damn sleep counts. I'll check out the earthing thingy....
Hi Jockeyboy. I have found that over the past 28 years, knowing I have Pd and not being able to sleep for longer than 3 to 4 hours a night; the stress of trying to sleep was more problematic than getting up and reading a dull but interesting book and going back to sleep later on,
My lack of sleep was more to do with worry over work issues than having Pd. If I went to sleep with no work worries, then I slept much better. Therefore, you might be having the same problem. So, if you are experiencing problems then sort those problems out, whether they be work or family problems . Then you will get better sleep.
I hear you. I didn't sleep Sunday or Monday nights this week. Got out of bed Tuesday morning shaking like a leaf. This never happens if I get a decent sleep. Called my neurologist office twice for a prescription for something to help with sleep. Crickets. Never returned my calls.
I've started using this light box (more like a light tablet) for 30 minutes in the morning.
Miroco Light Therapy Lamp, UV-Free 10000 Lux LED Therapy Light, Timer Function, 90° Rotatable Standing Bracket, Adjustable Brightness Levels, Touch Control, Memory Function for a Happy Life amazon.com/dp/B081MT6Y5B
I finished the light therapy clinical trial and noticed I was sleeping better by the end of it.
I had similar issues when I just got PD, almost perfect movement after decent sleep. After few years, the pattern has changed, good and deep sleep will lead to difficult movements in the morning; and if I sleep lightly, my movements are not so bad the second day............ PD is mysterious disease, everyone is different.
Please read my reply of today to The Lord's Weapon on the subject.
I use an Oura ring to track sleep quality (REM, deep, amount, restfulness) and find that i can associate the quality with how well i feel that day. Magnesium, melatonin, 5HTP, tryptophan, full spectrum CBD oil all seem to help.
There are studies showing GABA increases can be detrimental to PD.