REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

I came across this in a Discover Magazine article and had a flash of recognition: I have this disorder.

REM sleep is the period when you are dreaming. You are supposed to be paralyzed (atonia) at this time so that you don't act out (parasomnia). Sleep walking is an example of parasomnia, but REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) is characterized by more aggressive behaviour: kicking, punching.. people get hurt, either the person with the disorder or sometimes other people.

I've had this as long as I can remember. With me, the dreams almost always are that someone has broken into the house. I attack them, screaming loudly. When I say "attack", I mean exactly that: I've leaped out of bed, run across the house and done a flying tackle of an imagined intruder. I got rug burns out of that incident.

While in my teens I caught the thief (or murderer or whatever he was supposed to be) and tried to wrestle him to the ground. He was amazingly strong and I wasn't able to get him down.. I yelled for help ("I've got him! I've got him!"). When my sister came running, she found me holding my own wrist and flailing about wildly. My arm hurt for a week after that one.

Last year I broke a big toe. In that case, I caught the s.o.b. and was kicking him viciously..

Fortunately I have never hurt anyone other than myself. This has been a "normal" part of my life, so I never thought of it as a disease, but apparently it is: WebMD has a whole page on it.. Apparently it's most common in men over 60 and "may occur in association with various degenerative neurological conditions such as Parkinson disease". Oh, great..

It's a bit strange to think of this as a disease. I've experienced these things for so long it really does seem normal. Statistics for the number of people who have this problem are low, but they are probably also very inaccurate: like me, many people with RBD may never have thought it was anything for which they should seek medical help.

I'm most likely to have these incidents when I'm overtired or stressed. From what I've read, treatment with drugs such as Clonazepam can prevent this, but I don't like the idea of taking things with possible side effects that are much worse than a broken toe or some rug burns. On the other hand, my poor wife has to live with this too. Her sleep gets disturbed and of course she's worried that she might become the object of my aggression. I don't think that's likely, but I understand her fear so I have to do something.

In scouting about, I've read that melatonin might help this also. That has far fewer side effects, especially if I only take it when I think one of these episodes is likely. I'll try that first.

If I weren't a stubborn old coot, I might go see my doctor about this. Well, if the melatonin doesn't work, I will, but it's hard to imagine that this is anything degenerative after having had it for so long. I don't want to waste a lot of money and time on tests for things that I'm extremely unlikely to have.

So there we are. I thought it was just nightmares, but gosh no, it's a "disorder". I'll try melatonin and hope that it helps.

Sweet dreams.

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Tue Nov 11 17:16:46 2008: Subject:   BigDumbDinosaur
http://bcstechnology.net

When I say "attack", I mean exactly that: I've leaped out of bed, run across the house and done a flying tackle of an imagined intruder. I got rug burns out of that incident.

I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of you careening around the house, tilting at virtual windmills in your sleep-deprived mind. Lord only knows what your wife's reaction must have been the first time you went on one of your somnolent escapades! <Grin>

Seriously, thought, sleep disorders are nothing to laugh about and, as most anyone knows these days, have been linked to various health problems that can result in shorter longevity (is that an oxymoron?) or even death. I've long had a sleep disorder in which I seldom reach the REM stage of sleep and thus wake up fatigued and fuzzy-headed (my wife thinks the latter condition is congenital, BTW). Eventually, fatigue forces a proper night's sleep on me and I'm temporarily back in the groove -- only to be doomed to endlessly repeat the process.

Another sleep issue is apnea, which a lot of older people tend to suffer. I used to deal with apnea and finally went for help with it -- the problem is diagnosed with a test called a polysomnogram. Although I still seem to lack adequate REM sleep, when I do get it I don't seem to have an issue with apnea anymore.

Tony's mentioning of his sleep maladies highlights something very important that seems to get overlooked in the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. Sleep serves a very important function beyond merely allowing the body to rest and rebuild. There is some sort of physical and psychological need buried deep within the brain for sleep, dreaming (especially about attractive members of the opposite sex) and all that entails, a need that is not fully understood by medical science at this time. What is known, however, is that you cannot make up for lost sleep, no matter how hard you may try. The time to get a good night's sleep is now, not later. If you have sleep problems, don't hesitate to discuss it with your family physician. He or she may not be able to directly help you, but can refer you to someone who can.



Wed Nov 19 17:33:56 2008: Subject: REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder   anonymous


Similarly, I've discovered this disorder this week and have had it as long as I can remember. Instead of intruders, I leap out of bed convinced that a huge lorry has driven at high speed into the house. I'm all ready to make a rope out of sheets and abseil from the window.
I have violent dream fights with a sister and I have bitten the top of my partner's head as a result. I frequently get into life or death situations where I need to punch my way out or fall down a hole (and out of the bed).
I also wake during pleasant dreams feeling groggy and exhausted. Your post was indeed funny but I realise the serious aspects. You are not alone.



Wed Nov 19 23:37:09 2008: Subject:   BigDumbDinosaur
http://bcstechnology.net

I leap out of bed convinced that a huge lorry has driven at high speed into the house.

Good thing you don't live adjacent to railroad tracks! <Grin>



Wed Nov 19 23:51:02 2008: Subject:   TonyLawrence


The melatonin *may* be helping.. not sure yet. Tonight might be a good trst case. Very stressful day, cell phone running out of juice when it resurrected old messages. As I was trying to skim them quickly (because of the weak battery) I thought servers I had fixed had crashed again, that some customers had gone bonkers (asking same question again).. all while walking quickly to try to catch a train.. we'll see..



Fri Nov 28 04:12:31 2008: Subject: RBD: tilting at dream windmills   anonymous


My husband has RBD - happily for me, not to the same extent you describe. He kicks, but no biting or running around the house :)

Are either of you left-handed? My husband is, and I was thinking that RBD possibly had something to do with the somewhat non-standard brain wiring lefties often have.

I've also seen the dire predicitions of dementia and Parkinson's, but I think they're talking about late-onset RBD, not folks who've been exercising in their sleep all their lives...



Fri Nov 28 11:38:20 2008: Subject:   TonyLawrence


I'm not left handed, though one of my sisters is and I am noticeably more ambidextrous than most people.

I'm still not sure about the melatonin. I haven't been "up and at 'em" since I started taking this, but I have come close.. we'll see.



Fri Nov 28 19:26:55 2008: Subject:   BigDumbDinosaur
http://bcstechnology.net

I am more or less ambidextrous. I started out as a lefty but thanks to Roman Catholic ignorance, ended up somewhere left of center (physically, not politically).

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Thu Apr 9 16:35:36 2009: Subject:   rpda
http://bringinglighttorbd.blogspot.com

My Dad was diagnosed with a severe case of RBD about 9 years ago. After years of medications at increasingly higher doses (the body builds a tolerance over time), he is now being treated with a small dose of Klonopin and a high dose of melatonin with incredibly successful results. He has annual neurological check-ups and so far so good! My best wishes to all who have to deal with this condition and my thanks for speaking out about it.



Thu Apr 9 16:42:27 2009: Subject:   TonyLawrence


I think the melatonin is reducing this for me, but it hasn't eliminated it. I haven't actually gotten out of bed since I started taking it, but I have sat up and screamed loudly a number of times.

My poor wife has trouble sleeping anyway because of her joint pain; she gets somebody that screams as a bonus..





Fri Apr 10 13:28:35 2009: Subject:   BigDumbDInosaur
http://bcstechnology.net

My poor wife has trouble sleeping anyway because of her joint pain; she gets somebody that screams as a bonus.

You're lucky she doesn't kick you out of the bedroom. <Grin>



Fri Apr 10 13:33:56 2009: Subject:   TonyLawrence


Luckily for me the bed in the other bedroom is covered with stacks of her papers.. no place to throw me to..



Sun Apr 12 16:03:45 2009: Subject:   BigDumbDinosaur
http://bcstechnology.net

What makes you think she won't clean off the other bed for you? <Grin>



Sun Apr 12 16:13:55 2009: Subject:   TonyLawrence


Ooops - we cleaned it off yesterday :-)

But that's cuz we're having company today..



Mon Apr 13 14:28:33 2009: Subject:   BigDumbDInosaur
http://bcstechnology.net

BTW, what do you think of my "improved" avatar? <Grin>

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Mon Apr 13 14:35:03 2009: Subject:   TonyLawrence


Great :-)

What does the text say? Too small for my eyes..



Tue Apr 14 14:05:43 2009: Subject:   BigDumbDinosaur
http://bcstechnology.net

It says, "Rawr! I will eat you!"

No, I didn't draw or caption that picture. It came from a site with dino pics.



Tue Apr 28 21:02:20 2009: Subject:   TonyLawrence


At the suggestion of a neighbor, I tried a sleep mask.

It seems to be working. I'd hate to think what might happen if it doesn't: jumping up while asleep is bad enough, doing it blind could really get scary..



Sat May 23 20:10:28 2009: Subject:   anonymous


My husband used to have extremely violent dreams (due to his horrific childhood) and would punch me-breaking my nose and poking me in the eye as hard as humanly possible. I would wake up with blood gushing form my nose and in pure agony as he tried to poke my eye out. Of course- he said he knew nothing of this and would get mad a t me when I would wake him up screaming in pain. I had to move out of the bedroom..as he would not- even though he was the one assaulting me...and we haven't slept in the same bed since- I've had to work seperate shifts and lock his door so he wouldn't come after me at night. This almost ruined out marriage and now I have glaucoma because of it.

This is a horrible thing to have to deal with and it usually stems from a violent childhood.

Now I have to suffer for the rest of my life because of it.





Sat May 23 21:35:50 2009: Subject:   TonyLawrence


Well, I didn't have a violent childhood..

The sleep mask I've been wearing has cut this down dramatically. I haven't been out of bed yet, just some minor moaning and thrashing.. it definitely helps!

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