Several treatment options can help treat sleeping disorders for people with Parkinson’s. The proper treatment will depend on the sleeping disorder and its severity.
Options might include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT):CBT is often used to help treat insomnia, especially if someone also manages depression and anxiety. It can help people find and correct thoughts and actions that might disrupt sleep.
- Relaxation therapy: This therapy includes guided meditation, deep breathing, and biofeedback to help you relax and gain more restful sleep.
- Light therapy:Light therapy uses exposure to bright light to treat insomnia and depression. It’s a safe and noninvasive treatment reported to be effective for many people with Parkinson’s.
- Sleep restrictions: This treatment puts you on a sleep schedule. Initially, you’ll be limited in the number of hours you sleep. Your sleep time will gradually increase until you can get a full night’s sleep.
- Reconditioning: This treatment focuses on changing your habits so that your bed is used only for sleep and sexual activity.
- Bed padding and barriers: People with REM sleep behavior disorder and their partners can benefit from bed modifications such as padding and barriers.
- Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines: A CAP machine is a treatment for sleep apnea that you wear at home while you sleep. It keeps your airways open to help you breathe at night.
- Melatonin: Melatonin supplements can help treat insomnia and REM sleep behavior disorder.
- Sedative medications: Sometimes,sedative medications, such as Zolpidem, are an option to treat insomnia. However, these medications are highly addictive and are typically used if no other treatments are successful.
- Clonazepam: The medication clonazepam can help treat REM sleep behavior disorder.
Parkinson’s disease causes changes to the brain. This can disrupt sleep and lead to sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and REM sleep behavior disorder.
Also, Parkinson’s medications, symptoms, and commonly linked mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety, can disrupt sleep.
Treatment can help manage sleep disorders for people with Parkinson’s. The exact treatment depends on the specific sleep disorder and its severity. Options such as CBT, light therapy, relaxation therapy, reconditioning, and medications can help people get a good night’s rest.
