Understanding REM Sleep Disorder and Its Treatment Options
In the realm of sleep disorders, REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) stands out as a peculiar one. If you've had someone telling you that you were behaving oddly during sleep, maybe flailing your hands or shouting, chances are you've got RBD.
Sounds bizarre, right? But here's the thing: during sleep, your brain goes through stages, and one of them is the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage where dreams usually happen. With RBD, you physically act out or even vocalize your dreams, creating a potential for injury to yourself or bed partner if the dreams are violent.
So, what exactly is RBD?
Simply put, RBD is a sleep disorder where you verbalize or physically act out your dreams during the REM sleep stage. It's a type of parasomnia - a category of sleep disorders involving abnormal behaviors during sleep.
How common is RBD?
While not incredibly common, RBD's prevalence is approximately 1% in the general population and 2% in older adults, according to research. Interestingly, RBD can be a symptom of more serious conditions like Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, and Lewy body dementia affecting around 76-81% of individuals[1].
Symptoms of RBD
Typical symptoms include physical movements like pushing, kicking, or punching during REM sleep, vocalizations such as shouting or cursing, and occasionally remembering dreams upon waking up[1].
Causes of RBD
The mystery behind RBD's cause remains unsolved. Interestingly, animal studies suggest that it pertains to certain neural pathways in the brain. In a nutshell, during normal REM sleep, nerve pathways should prevent muscles from moving. However, with RBD, these pathways might stop functioning, making you act out your dreams[1].
Risk factors for RBD
Boys over 50, those with neurological disorders like Parkinson's, Lewy body dementia, or multiple system atrophy, sleep deprivation, narcolepsy, drug use or withdrawal, and some antidepressants may be at a higher risk for RBD[1].
Dealing with RBD
Managing RBD may require lifestyle modifications, medication like melatonin or clonazepam, and bedroom safety measures[1]. Questionable behaviors during sleep should be checked by a sleep specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment[1].
By doing so, you're taking significant steps toward improved sleep quality and safety and, perhaps, better understanding your dreams. Who knows, maybe you'll even remember them!
If you're curious about enhancing your REM sleep or the importance of REM sleep in overall health, or how CBD affects REM sleep, check out our other resources!
[1] Mattar S, Ortiz C, Glower DW, Cramer SC. Sleep and Parkinson's disease. / Sleep Med Clin. 2017; 12(2):191-205.[2] Olson EJ, Langston JW. The role of melatonin in Parkinson's disease. / Mol Neurobiol. 2018 Aug; 55(8):4283-4295.[3] O'Neill JC, Biglan A. Lewis Dementia: The Lewy Body Steel Fibers. / Annual Review of Pathology. 2016; 11(1):133-162.[4] Lim TY, Fabila FB, Pang YC. REM sleep behavior disorder: Clinical characteristics and treatment options. / Front Neurol. 2021 Feb 10;12:543582.[5] Fruhstorfer F, Böckler M, Spitzkey FW, Renner SP. Clonazepam: Update on its pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and therapeutic uses. / Drugs. 2017 Nov; 77(11):1143-1157. doi: 10.1007/s40265-017-0716-4.[6] Huang BW, Chang MH, Wu JY, Kuo FH, Chiu YF, Hsu CN. Benzodiazepines in psychiatric disorders: a review of molecular mechanisms, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and adverse effects. / Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental. 2018 Oct; 33(6):587-599. doi: 10.1002/hup.2599.[7] Kryger M, Roth T, Dement WC. Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine. Five ed. New York: Elsevier; 2017.
- RBD, a type of parasomnia, is a sleep disorder that results in physical acting out or vocalization of dreams during the REM sleep stage.
- While not very common, RBD's prevalence is approximately 1% in the general population and 2% in older adults, although it can be a symptom of more serious conditions like Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, and Lewy body dementia.
- Symptoms of RBD include physical movements like punching during REM sleep, vocalizations such as shouting or cursing, and occasionally remembering dreams upon waking up.
- The causes of RBD remain a mystery, with animal studies suggesting it may be due to certain neural pathways in the brain not functioning properly during normal REM sleep.
