Study finds harmful risk factors of violent sleep disorder

Business Standard: Kicking and yelling during sleep? You may want to know the risk factors of a violent sleep disorder.

According to a recent study, taking antidepressants for depression, having post-traumatic stress disorder or anxiety diagnosed by a doctor are risk factors for a disruptive and sometimes violent sleep disorder called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder.

The study was published in the journal of 'Neurology', the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study also found that men are more likely to have the disorder.

REM sleep is the dream state of sleep. During normal REM sleep, your brain sends signals to prevent your muscles from moving. However, for people with REM sleep behavior disorder, those signals are disrupted. A person may act out violent or action-filled dreams by yelling, flailing their arms, punching or kicking, to the point of harming themselves or a person sleeping next to them.

"While much is still unknown about REM sleep behavior disorder, it can be caused by medications or it may be an early sign of another neurologic condition like Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies or multiple system atrophy. Identifying lifestyle and personal risk factors linked to this sleep disorder may lead to finding ways to reduce the chances of developing it," said study author Ronald Postuma.

The study looked at 30,097 people with an average age of 63. Researchers screened participants for a variety of health conditions and asked them about lifestyle, behaviour, social, economic and psychological factors. BS