Treatment Options for Sleep Dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease

Sleep disturbance is an important feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD) that deserves clinical attention. Various disorders need to be considered and treatment should be customized to the patient’s specific symptoms and lifestyle. Evaluation of a PD patient complaining of difficulty sleeping begins with a detailed history from the patient and bed partner about the specific problem the patient is experiencing. It is important to inquire about difficulties with sleep onset, frequent awakenings, increased movements during sleep, acting out dreams, uncomfortable motor symptoms, disordered breathing, and nocturia. Current medications should be reviewed to determine whether the recent addition of a drug or a change in dose may be contributing to sleep difficulties, and one should ask about daytime sleepiness, frequent daytime naps, and sleep hygiene in the evening that can contribute to problems sleeping at night. The goal of therapy is to restore quality nighttime sleep without excessive daytime sedation and to improve the patient’s daily mental and physical function and overall quality of life.