Are your dreams vivid and seem a little too real? Do you thrash about at night in your bed like you are actually awake but you still dreaming? Maybe you have REM sleep behavior disorder RBD.
REM is one of the 5 sleep stages. REM sleep is characterized by loss of muscle control (paralysis), irregular breathing and very lively brain activity. Most dreams occur during REM.
REM sleep behavior disorder is when there isn’t loss of muscle control leaving the sleeper to be physically involved with their dreams. Usually these dreams are intense and the sleeper may be violent as in kicking, punching, twisting and even yelling. This can be dangerous to the person sleeping or the sleeping partner. Middle aged men are usually victims of RBD.
Polysomnographic video recording is used to diagnosis if RBD is the problem. Other electrical activities are also monitored at the same time.
The medication Klonopin is used to treat RBD along with other medications.
While the causes of RBD are unknown, some evidence point to alcohol withdrawal or with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders.