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Sleep

15/06/2003

"Sleep disorders in Parkinson's patients and the methods of their treatment" - summary of Dr. Ilana Schlesinger's lecture at the Yaakov memorial.

Normal sleep consists of several successive stages that differ from each other in the depth of sleep and in phenomena such as rapid eye movements (REM) and dreams. The various stages are repeated several times during the night. In the first stages, sleep is light and only later do you move to deep sleep which results in the relaxation of the body and the accumulation of strength. When the patient does not reach the stages of deep sleep, the body's systems are prevented from getting the rest necessary for their proper functioning.

One of the common symptoms of Parkinson's disease is the phenomenon of sleep disturbances, constant fatigue and excessive sleep on the one hand and lack of sleep on the other.

Sleep disorders are caused by:
• The disease itself (tremor, muscle stiffness, pain, restless legs syndrome)
• The medicines
• Depression (hallucinations and nightmares)

In Parkinson's patients who suffer from sleep disorders, several phenomena may occur, some of which can be observed during these periods and others in small children, such as:
• Walking while sleeping
• Making sounds or talking and shouting while dreaming
• Mobility during the dream.
• Violence while sleeping and beating the partner. (In the USA there were murder cases, where the line of defense was that the killer was not aware of it because he committed it while sleeping)
• Breathing disturbances, deep snoring, reaching to pauses in breathing and risk of suffocation if the pauses in breathing last more than 20 seconds at a time. This is due to the narrowing of the trachea in the sleeping position on the back. 

Frequent awakening during the night, prevents the patient from reaching the deep sleep stage, which is necessary for the body and muscle systems,

Continuous sleep disturbed by the "restless legs" syndrome (even if the patient is not aware of it and does not wake up) means that the sleep is not deep and does not refresh the body's systems and the next day the patient feels tired as if he did not sleep at all.

It is possible to check the quality of sleep and diagnose the disorders that exist in the patient, in sleep laboratories in the hospitals.

The common medications for the treatment of sleep disorders are:

• Sleep disorders due to muscle stiffness are successfully treated with "Klonks"
• Sleep disorders due to depression, treated with anti-depressant drugs
• Sleep disorders due to muscle pain are treated with Eltrolet and the like

Dr. Schlesinger recommended adopting a number of habits and actions before bed, which can help improve sleep:

• Create a routine of a series of regular actions before going to sleep: brushing teeth, urinating, reading a book, etc.
• Do not leave a light on too strong. Because when there is light, there is no sense of night and night turns into day.
• Do not drink too much before bed, because when the bladder presses you wake up and the night is over.
• Do not drink alcoholic beverages or coffee, tea, Coca-Cola, and avoid smoking and eating chocolate and chocolate cake before going to bed, since all these make it difficult to fall asleep,
• Do not make the bed the center of life (for example, do not eat in it), but identify it with sleep

In answer to the question, Dr. Schlesinger said that the anti-depressant drugs may harm the sexual function. (Alterolt more than Klonax)

  20/11/2011

Omer Porat, psychologist

Sleep disorders in people with Parkinson's disease are not uncommon. There are all kinds of reasons for these disorders, some related to the disease and some not at all.
There are neurological reasons, hormonal reasons and psychological reasons.
For example, in certain anxiety situations, no medication will help as long as the focus of the anxiety is not treated, and when it is successfully treated mentally, no medication is needed. The person who should diagnose the cause of your sleep problem is a doctor. It is possible to start with a neurologist who specializes in treating Parkinson's patients or a doctor who specializes in treating sleep disorders in a sleep clinic. Who to start with? This is a question for your GP.
The good news - a diagnosed sleep disorder is most often treated successfully.
full health,
Omar Porat
Specialist rehabilitation psychologist and director of the psychology forum.