Vivid dream sequencing, night terrors, etc...., can quite frightening and
potentially dangerous, not just for the PWP but equally so for the care
partner.
I do not experience this sleep disorder with my own brain..........but my boy
friend, who also has Parkinson's Disease, does experience them on a regular
basis...therefore, so do I ...For me, it's like living with one foot in
reality and one foot in dreamland....I have been attacked on 3 separate
occasions during these episodes -awakened during the night to find myself
being choked, was flipped in the air and pinned to the floor on my back twice.
Understand,please, that in the reality state my boy friend is one of the
gentlest, kindest, non-violent people you would ever want to meet. In his
dream state, however, it is not ME that he sees. He can be looking straight
at me but in his mind he is seeing whoever the adversary is in that particular
dream.
We went to Emory and he had sleep studies performed which diagnosed him as
being narcoleptic( which can include the acting out of vivid dreams, night
terrors,acute temporary paralysis as well as inability to stay awake during
the day.
Dr. David Rye, SLeep Disorder Specialist, at Emory, told me that REM
Sleep Disorder, Narcolepsy, etc..... are very common in PWP.When brain waves
of PWPs are studied, it is found that we rarely go into the deeper stages of
sleep (stages 3 and 4), remaining, instead in the lighter stages of sleep -
Stages 1 and 2 ..Dreaming occurs during this part of the sleep cycle...
The moral of my story is that my boy friend and I have separate bedrooms
and I lock my door at night!
Terrie Whitling 43/16
