Sleep and Parkinson’s

I wake up early. I do not want to wake up so early, I just do since I have had Parkinson’s. Sleep issues are a big problem with this disorder. Getting to sleep and staying asleep are symptoms that many people with Parkinson’s complain about at sometime in the disease process. Other than tremors, sleep troubles are my major life concern with Parkinson’s. The irony of this situation is sleep is vital for Parkinson’s since it is the time when your body replenishes the dopamine that gets depleted. People with Parkinson’s need a lot of restorative sleep, but it is not easy to get.

I can be very tired and fatigued from shaking all day, but when I try to sleep, the tremors and movements keep me from resting. I have medication to help which works for getting to sleep, but if I wake up to use the bathroom or get a drink of water, the tremors begin and I cannot get back to sleep. If I take the meds that help control the tremors, it keeps me awake. And so goes the cycle of sleep problems.

It is lonely at night when the world is sleeping and you are awake. It is still dark. The house is quiet except for the little sounds that seem to come out at night even though they are always there. I hear the air conditioner and even the little bedside clock as it tics off the seconds and minutes. I decide to get up and try a cup of Sleepy Time Tea with a little honey. It is soothing and calming. I read, I write, I knit, I take a bath, but still no sleep. I try some additional medication and wait for the sleepiness to kick in. If my legs are tremoring, I take a walk just to break up the shakiness. I finally feel the tiredness overcome me and I go back to bed for some rest. It may be just a couple of hours before the sun comes up, so I am hoping to get a little sleep. The day ahead will be a tough one on such little sleep. I will certainly take it easy, and take a nap or two. Somehow the disease gets the better of me this time. But just wait until I get dopamined-up from a good night of sleep on another night soon. Then Parkisnon’s move over because here I come!