Hello, I wondered about something new I'm seeing with my mom. When we're watching a movie or a lecture, and she dozes some, sitting up, she is beginning to act out motions, as though she was pouring something or sewing something, etc. Tonight, she started responding out loud, like sleep talking, but woke herself up. I am starting to worry if this could lead to sleep walking or acting out her dreams in a way where she could hurt herself. Is this common? She's really not on medication yet, except for the SSRI Zoloft and supplements.
Thank you,
Sarah
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SKCW
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Is melatonin among the supplements she takes? If not, I'd say give that a shot. I haven't gone leaping out of bed since I started taking it, although I still yammer in my sleep.
Thank you, no she does not take melatonin. Do you know if sleep/dream acting out (don't know what else to call it) is a thing for Parkinson's? It certainly seems like people are experiencing lack of sleep. Many thanks, Sarah
It is definitely a thing for Parkinson's! At my first appointment with my current neurologist I didn't know what was wrong with me (yet). She was asking whether I had experienced various symptoms, and I hadn't connected the dots between them. When she asked whether I ever woke myself up screaming or hollering, my heart sank, because I had been doing that very thing and had been utterly mystified by it.
I've been watching my husband do the same when he sleeps. He's checking out the edges of his sheet, moving his hands around, looks like he is living out his dreams. He has trouble sleeping at night and dozes off all day.
Thank you for your help. That's exactly what I mean, the way you said it, "living out his dreams." It makes me wonder to what degree will she try to live them out. Seems so unkind that sleep should have to be bothered as well.
He acts them out but doesn't sleep walk or anything else. I wouldn't worry about that part. His biggest problem is when he gets no sleep at all during the night ,and dozes all day. Parkinson's is such a hideous, always changing disease! I try to "fix" him, but I'm always one step behind.
That's a tall order to fix him. I understand the wish!!! I asked my grandmother once her advice on life. She said, "All you can do is the best you can do." Hindsight isn't a fair judge either.
I also have a close family member with PD who "lives out dreams". This activity seems to be a disruption of normal REM sleep - when most of us are motionless, our muscles paralysed. I would say that anything that help DEEP sleep, could help - if sleep is deep the disturbance in the REM sleep is less. So, root vegetables, cutting out sugar, and a little good quality fat before bed (tablespoon of coconut oil or a "golden milk" drink) are things that we have found help. I also work with medical inventions, one of which, the zeez sleep pebble, is being studied to see if it helps with PD-related sleep disorders. It is designed to help deep sleep. You can try it on sale/return, and ask for a discount. Here's a clip youtube.com/watch?v=Qe9JtwZ...
My husband and I married in 1960. On our honeymoon,I was awakened when he grabbed my pillow and my head went, "bang." onto the mattress. I've been living with his restless, abnormal REM sleep for 57 years, though now it has moved into this new awake/asleep dream stage! I think it was a precursor of Parkinson's. He also lost his sense of smell about 5 years before he was diagnosed.
It is tough to "fix" him. Though, I am a retired RN, and that makes me think i should be able to do SOMETHING.
Dr Mark Porter article - link between Parkinson's Disease and sleep disorders
partypantspartypants 3 years ago 22 Replies
For those of you without a subscription to The Times online Dr Mark Porter published an article yesterday entitled "Parkinson’s disease starts much earlier than we thought" in which he cites recent research from the University of Toronto which found that people with a condition known as REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) were more likely to go on to develop Parkinson's or dementia.
Extract below,
"New research by a team from the University of Toronto has just confirmed a link between Parkinson’s disease and a tendency to act out vivid dreams — a condition known as REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD). People with RBD tend to yell, sit up or even get out of bed and act out their dreams, disturbing their partners who may get kicked and punched in the process.
In a healthy brain, the nerve signals to muscles are normally switched off during the dreaming REM phase of sleep, effectively paralysing us. The loss of this normal inhibition in people with RBD is thought to be an early sign of brain deterioration, and the researchers from Toronto estimate that more than three-quarters of them will go on to develop neuro-degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s or dementia."
Here's the link to the article - sleephealthfoundation.org.a...
Having experienced some RBD episodes myself in the past I was interested if anyone else had experienced this ?
I'm not convinced that this is useful as an early diagnosis tool but you never know...
Hold off on pd meds as long as you can . I have been at this PD for 14 years now. I have reached my limit as to what I can take according to neurologist. My dosage of senimet is 2 tablets 4 times a day. 1 comtan 4 times a day and 3 doses of 10ml amantidine. Acting out sleeping caused myself and wife to sleep in separate rooms. She experienced a shot to the head and a knee to the back. The dreams don't seem to be there anymore but I contribute that to a couple of sleep aids that knock me out for the night. I take them an hour before going to bed. Not sure but one is melatonin .
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