It’s no surprise that a restful night’s sleep goes hand-in-hand with a person’s overall quality of life. As a person ages, the ability to have a full night of sleep diminishes, which in turn poses other challenges to their overall well being. According to The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, “An individual sleep needs vary. However, most adults need about seven to eight hours of nightly sleep to feel alert and well rested during the day.”
While we all would dream of such extended blocks of rest, now factor in the reality of living with Parkinson’s and the additional challenges and difficulties of achieving a solid night’s sleep. As more research is done in the field of sleep and Parkinson’s, Movement Disorder Specialists and researchers are gaining better insight into the various causes for sleep disruption and PD, which allows them to determine more effective treatments and therapies. Some of the more notable causes are:
- Hallucinations and Delusions
- REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
- Insomnia
- Sleep Apnea
- Medications
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Periodic Limb Movement Syndrome
- Vivid Dreams
- Sleep Attacks
- Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
For a more in-depth look at these sleep disruptions causes and possible treatments, watch our wHolistic!™ livestream recording of Sleep and Parkinson’s featuring Graham Alec Glass, MD, a fellowship trained movement disorders neurologist who is also Board Certified in Sleep Medicine.
Research Study Opportunity
While vast improvements have been made in understanding how sleep affects quality of life while living with Parkinson’s, there is still more work to be done. The University of Mississippi is looking for your help!
