Tossing, turning at night a warning sign

THRASHING about in your sleep could mean you have a higher risk of developing dementia or Parkinson’s disease, experts say.

Kicking and punching at night is characteristic of a condition called REM sleep behaviour disorder.

Academics say 80% of those who have a severe case of this eventually develop a neurological disease.

The restless behaviour may predict dementia and other diseases up to 15 years before symptoms appear.

Those with sleep behaviour disorders often toss and turn at night, meaning they feel bleary-eyed and fall asleep in the daytime. In some cases their movements are so vigorous that they can hurt themselves or their partners.

Dr John Peever, of the University of Toronto, who presented his research at the Canadian Association for Neuroscience annual conference, thinks sleep disorders are caused by dysfunctional brain stem cells.

When most people dream, if these cells are fully functioning, the body is “paralysed” so we do not act out the scenes.

The cells – called REM-active neurons – switch on when the body enters a state of deep sleep known as REM or rapid eye movement sleep, when the eyes dart around beneath the eyelids. This is when we tend to experience vivid dreams.

But for those with sleep disorders these cells never switch on, meaning the body moves around when we dream.

Peever thinks these dysfunctional cells also play a role in Parkinson’s, dementia, and other brain and nervous system problems in the elderly. He said, “When we switch on these cells, it causes a rapid transition into REM sleep.

“Our research suggests sleep disorders may be an early warning sign for diseases that may appear some 15 years later in life.”

Peever hopes his research will allow doctors to predict which patients are likely to develop the diseases.

Knowing someone is at risk may help them adopt a healthier lifestyle, which could delay onset of the illnesses.– Daily Mail