REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

Posted on June 29, 2009 in Latest News

REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a condition in which people act out their dreams by jumping, kicking, leaping, shouting, or other actions –thereby injurying themselves and their bed partner. RBD sufferers act out when they have violent dreams, dreams associated with being attacked, intense or vivid dreams.

What Causes REM Sleep Behavior Disorder?
REM (rapid eye movement ) and NREM (Non-rapid eye movement) are two states of sleep. During REM, there are changes such as rapid eye movement, increased blood pressure, and the muscles are paralyzed –which makes the person relaxed. However, in REM sleep behavior disorder, the muscle paralysis is absent or incomplete –as a result the person physically acts out violent or intense dreams.

Symptoms of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD):
The actions of RBD may include the following:

These behaviors reflect the dream, and the person often undergoes self-injury or causes injury to the sleeping partner.

Risk Factors:
REM sleep behavior disorder is associated with the following conditions:

In some cases, RBD is also associated with alcohol withdrawal, withdrawal from certain anti-depressants or SSRIs or sleep deprivation.

RBD Diagnosis:
RBD diagnosis involves a physical exam, neurologic exam, and a sleep study-in which the breathing function, heart rate, muscle activity is recorded using sensors. The diagnosis also involves taking a medical history to check if certain medications or alcohol are causing the symptoms.

REM sleep behavior disorder Treatment:
RBD treatment involves making lifestyle changes and using medications:

Lifestyle Changes:

Medications to Treat RBD:

Medications such as Clonazepam, certain anti-depressants or melatonin dietary supplement may be prescribed to treat this condition.

To prevent injury, you can follow the following measures while taking up treatment:

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