REM Sleep-Related Disturbances

Dream related abnormal sleep states include Recurring Nightmares, Sleep Paralysis, and REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD). Nightmares and isolated sleep paralysis are common occurrences and do not constitute an abnormality unless they occur several times a week and disturb the patient's sleep however RBD is a serious disorder that involves patients acting out their dreams and can include punching, kicking, leaping and running from their bed. The disorder is more common in middle aged and elderly males and there is a high statistical association with a large number of neurologic conditions such as Parkinson's, Disease, Alzheimer's Dementia, strike, and Multiple Sclerosis. RBD is due to the body's inability to turn off the voluntary muscles during dream sleep which then manifests itself as the person "acting out" their dream mentation.