Parkinson's Disease - Beyond The Shakes

Parkinson’s Disease – Beyond The Shakes. In this post, I discuss sleep issues and strategies for better sleep.

It’s 3 a.m. and I’m wide awake! So, I gracefully slip out of bed, like a ballet dancer performing The Nutcracker. Grab my clothes (and of course my pills to start the day off right), tip-toe around the dogs sleeping at the end of the bed, and head upstairs to the guitar/fly tying/adult learning studio. As a bonus, I do this with all the grace of a bull in a china shop. Sound familiar?

For a majority of people with Parkinson’s, this is a regular nightly routine. You get in bed tired and ready for a good night’s sleep and you drift off into dreamland for a few hours, then like someone is tapping you on the shoulder your eyes pop open. You decide to go to the bathroom, climb back in bed, nod off, and an hour later, tap, tap, tap. Your body is telling you “What are you waiting for, it’s time to get up?” Now, what am I supposed to do it’s O’Dark Thirty? There have to be things I can do to help me sleep better? What is going to happen now with all this lack of sleep?

Why can’t I sleep and are there things I can do to help me get a better night’s sleep? I’m glad you asked. I’m going to describe some of the reasons for lack of sleep and then some things you can do to try to get a better night’s sleep. I go into more detail on each of these later on and share some links you can go to to get additional information.

Hazel and Duke — Normally, sleep at the bottom of the bed. Here they are enjoying some bedtime.

Parkinson’s Disease Beyond The Shakes -Strategies for finding that elusive sleep

Start a regular exercise program, better if down in the morning.
Avoid a lot of computers, tablets, or phone time before bed.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol several hours before bed.
Set a regular bedtime schedule based on the time you want to get up.
If you need a nap, Power naps that are less than an hour are best.
Don’t drink a lot of water or other liquids several hours before bed

But, before we get started on the strategies for sleeping better, here are some common reason’s for Sleep Issues with Parkinson’s.

- Vivid Dreams – that scare you and wake you up
- Jerky movements of the legs and arms (this makes nodding off so easy right?)
- Difficulty turning over in bed
- Frequent trips to the bathroom
- Acting out your dreams or talking or yelling out in your sleep
- Sleep Apnea

So it’s 3 a.m and I can’t play guitar (well I could but I might get my guitar smashed), I could tie some flies for fly fishing or do an adult learning class. Or, I can come up with a plan to start getting a better night’s sleep, that will help me from looking like something out of The Walking Dead. So since it’s early and we have several hours before everyone’s awake, let’s look at some strategies for sleeping better.

Start an Exercise Program:

https://liveparkinsons.com/parkinson’s-disease-beyond-the-shakes-exercise

As I discussed in my previous post, Parkinson’s – The Quest For An Exceptional Life, you don’t need to dread an exercise program. It’s not like having a tooth pulled. Find something you enjoy doing and can stick with regularly and you are off to the races. Exercise not only will help with your balance and movement, but it also gives you a self of well-being and helps you sleep better because you’ll be tired by bedtime. Make sure to review your exercise program with your doctor to make sure it’s appropriate for you. Here are a few examples to get the creative juices flowing.

Take a walk outdoors with a friend (or your dog) and enjoy nature.
Go for a bike ride and let the wind blow through your hair (under your helmet of course).
Join a gym and go to group classes you enjoy; Zumba, Aquatics, Yoga.
Take a dance class with a spouse, partner, or friend and show off your dance moves.

You’re saying that’s a nice list you have there, but none of that interests me. Okay, so where can I find information on developing an exercise program. Well, I talked with a few of my certified trainer friends and did a little research to save you some time (I know, I try to be helpful). Take a peek below for some suggestions on developing an exercise program.

YouTube Video 5 Balances Exercises

YouTube Video Head to Toe Warm-up Exercises

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9200-exercise-for-people-with-parkinsons-disease

https://www.apdaparkinson.org/article/what-exercise-to-do-with-parkinsons/

https://www.parkinson.org/Understanding-Parkinsons/Treatment/Exercise

Well, what are you waiting for put on those sneakers, swimsuits, helmets, dance shoes and show the world what you can do, Keep a smile on your face, a skip in your step, and a flutter in your heart (that’s one of my favorite sayings) and enjoy!

Parkinson's Disease - Beyond The Shakes — Tap, Tap, reminding you to exercise.

Avoid Screen time: Computers, Tablets, and Phones:

We all enjoy surfing the web, streaming movies or TV shows, or just using our devices to read our favorite books or novel. So what’s the problem you ask? Well, the research suggests that looking at your phone or tablet keeps your mind stimulated and helps prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. In addition, all these devices emit light which can affect the production of hormones in your brain, such as Melatonin, which is important in the sleep cycle and can lead to a poor night’s sleep. Your devices emit a blue light which can be minimized with blue light glasses.

So, what’s this all mean? Put down the devices and take a warm shower or bath, pet the dog, cat, or guinea pig. Or, heaven forbid, talk to the family about their day (just kidding). Here’s some information on sleep and devices. Sweet Dreams!

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9366-sleep-problems-with-parkinsons-disease

https://www.parkinson.org/Understanding-Parkinsons/Symptoms/Non-Movement-Symptoms/Sleep-Disorders

https://www.apdaparkinson.org/what-is-parkinsons/symptoms/sleep-problems/

Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol later in the Day:

I mean who doesn’t love a cup of coffee in the afternoon on a cold day when you are starting to fade. Or, enjoy a nice glass of wine before bed while watching your favorite show. While these are both enjoyable caffeine, which is a stimulant is going to disrupt you from getting a good night’s sleep. I remember going to a friend’s house and playing some board games. I had a couple of glasses of diet soda (with some chips and other snacks of course) while we were playing the games. I got home and stared at the ceiling for 3 hours before I could fall asleep. “I’m thinking why can’t I fall asleep? ” You guessed it (I knew you would), the soda was the high test caffeinated kind. So try to steer clear of caffeine as much as possible.

Now, alcohol on the other hand is a central nervous system depressant and has a sedative effect. Well, then it must be good for sleep right? Studies show that it helps you fall asleep faster but interrupts your sleep cycles as the night progresses causing you to have disrupted sleep throughout the night. The more alcohol you consume the greater the disruption in your sleep. Moderation is the key and if you’re going to enjoy a libation, have it with dinner. Check out these studies for more on the effects of caffeine and alcohol on sleep.

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/caffeine-and-sleep

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/alcohol-and-sleep

Taking Naps:

Oh, remember as a kid when you were told you had to take a nap and you fought it all the way. Fast forward 40 years as an adult. Doesn’t a nap sound great? I mean, who doesn’t think to themselves right after lunch, I could sure use a nap? Naps are important for people with Parkinson’s, because of fatigue from a poor night’s sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness from the Parkinson’s medications or you’re getting tired from doing too many activities. However, let’s set some ground rules so you don’t interrupt your sleep at night.

Power Naps – take a 20-30 minute Power Nap so you don’t fall into a REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep cycle. You’ll feel refreshed and ready to take on the world.
90 Minute nap – a 90-minute nap will allow you to complete one complete sleep cycle and you will wake up feeling good. You won’t be walking around in a haze.

So, when you are tired, do what your mom told you and take a nap!

Parkinson's Beyond The Shakes — Nap time!

Drinking Too Much Liquid Before Bed:

Well, I just went to the bathroom because I drank too much water before bed. I slide gracefully, back in bed and now I’m wide awake and it’s 12:30 a.m. Ouch, this is going to be a long day ahead of me if I don’t get some shut-eye. So what do I do? I’m prepared for just such a scenario. I’ve created several playlists on my phone for just such occasions. Each playlist ranges from 2 to 6 hours. I try to get creative with each playlist name. Some examples; O’Dark Thirty, Wide Awake in America, Dusk to Dawn, Mr. Sandman. You get the idea.

Based on the time I’m awake, I select the appropriate playlist based on time duration. I slip in my earphones and have the volume at the bare minimum and as I listen to music I drift off into dreamland. A small caveat. I select nice relaxing music. While I enjoy groups like AC/DC, Godsmack, and Disturbed, their music is not the best for trying to fall asleep too.

So, when Parkinson’s taps you on the shoulder at 3 a.m. and says “Come on, let’s start the day”. You can push back and say, “not right now, but can you give me a wake-up call around 7 a.m.” by using some of the strategies outlined above. However, if you do get up, make the most of it and spend some time on some of the things you enjoy. Finally, watch the darkness fad to light and watch the sun come up, and get ready for a spectacular day!

Chris Kustanbauter

Parkinson’s Disease – Beyond the Shakes

3/12/22

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