Parkinson's Disease and Sleep

Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the central nervous system that causes a loss of cells in the brain region that controls movement. People with Parkinson's disease experience a range of symptoms, including tremors (shaking), rigidity (stiffness), slowness of movement, and problems with balance and coordination. They may also have memory problems, depression and sleep complaints. Parkinson's disease is a chronic disease and progressivequi means that once it happens, it does not go away and the symptoms usually become worse over time; rate or the rate of progression differs from person to person.

Parkinson's disease may be idiopathic, meaning that it occurs without apparent cause. In this case, he developed probably by some interactions between a person and his environment genes. It can also be secondairese producing after another disease, exposure to certain drugs, or as a result of repeated head trauma. According to the Foundation for Parkinson's, between 15 and 25 percent of people with Parkinson's disease have a relative with the disease, suggesting that for some people it can be hereditary. Age is also a risk factor, with older people being more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than younger people.


Sleep problems can be an early sign of Parkinson's disease, even before motor symptoms have begun. Some common sleep disorders in Parkinson's patients include:

insomnia
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Nightmares
Sleep attacks (an involuntary episode of sudden sleep)
Disorders of REM sleep behavior (acting out dreams during sleep)
Movement disorder of the periodic leg (PLMD)
The restless legs syndrome (RLS)
Sleep apnea
Nocturia (frequent urination at night)