Sleep disturbances in Parkinson disease : Focusing on REM sleep behavior disorder

Abstract

Sleep disturbance is one of the important non–motor symptoms in Parkinson disease (PD) and affects the quality of life of patients. Early morning off and nighttime motor symptoms can lead to nocturnal and early morning awakenings, and restless legs syndrome can cause difficulty falling asleep. It is also important to screen for sleep apnea, which reduces sleep quality, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD), which causes dream–enacting behavior and fragmented nocturnal sleep. PD patients with RBD are associated with characteristic clinical subtypes of PD. In this article, I will discuss the screening of sleep disorders in patients with PD with a focus on RBD and its management.