Abnormal things happening during sleep: parasomnias.
S Stieglitz, H J Heppner, N Netzer
Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie March 2020 DOI: 10.1007/s00391-020-01714-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Parkinson’s disease Rapid eye movement Sleep behavior disorder Sleep paralysis |
| Key findings | REM behavior disorder features increased muscle tone during REM sleep, when muscle tone is normally absent, and aggressive dreams can cause injury to the sleeper or bed partners. Many patients develop a synucleinopathy such as Parkinson's disease, with phenoconversion exceeding 30% at 5 years and nearly 100% at 15 years. Treatment options are melatonin or clonazepam, alongside recommendations for a safe sleeping environment. |
Abstract
Parasomnias are characterized by abnormal experiences, dreams, movements and behavior during sleep. They may occur in the middle of the sleep during REM (rapid eye movement) or NREM (non-rapid eye movement), during falling asleep or waking up. Characteristically for REM behavior disorder is an increased muscle tone although usually REM is defined by an absence of muscle tone. For these forms aggressive dreams may lead to violating bed partners or self-injury of the sleeping person. Even killing bed partners has been described. Many of the patients develop a kind of Parkinson's disease (synucleinopathies). The rate of phenoconversion is more than 30% in 5 years and nearly 100% after 15 years. There are several recommendations regarding a safe sleeping environment. Medicinal treatment consists of either melatonin or clonazepam.