Sleep Disorders in Parkinson's Disease

The sleep disturbances observed in Parkinson's disease (PD) and other parkinsonian disorders cover a wide range. The nighttime sleep disturbances include sleep fragmentation caused by recurrent PD symptoms, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movements during sleep, and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. Excessive daytime sleepiness may result from these nocturnal sleep disturbances, be caused by the medications used to treat PD, or be intrinsic to PD itself. Treatment of sleep disturbances in PD is complex and often requires multiple therapeutic strategies.