10 tips to sleep better and have
more restful sleep

Sleep difficulties are often under-reported in people and it is an early indicator of Parkinson’s disease (PD) or another neurodegenerative disorder. More than 75% of people with PD experience sleep-related symptoms. Sleep disturbances are a non-motor symptom of PD. 

The most common sleep disturbance in people with PD is sleep fragmentation. This can be caused by PD symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, painful muscle spasms from dystonia, and nocturia, which is the need to get out of bed regularly to urinate. Other notable sleep disturbances include REM sleep behavior disorder, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, and daytime sleepiness.

Poor sleep quality can affect mood, pain, motor symptoms, fatigue, and even the effectiveness of medications commonly used to treat PD. 

In this post, let’s discuss my 10 tips to sleep better and have a more restful sleep.  

• Be in natural light

  Light impacts your natural production of melatonin and circadian rhythm. Melatonin levels drop when you are exposed to light, particularly natural light, and increase when darkness falls to help facilitate sleep. When exposed to natural light, a person’s circadian rhythm becomes more closely synchronized with sunrise and sunset, helping you stay awake during the day and sleep during darkness.

• Set a sleep schedule and routine:

  Setting a consistent bedtime and wake time as well as night and morning routines will help your brain and body naturally learn to wind down and allow for more restful sleep. If you are constantly changing your sleep hours and routine this makes it harder to establish a circadian rhythm. 

• Minimize fluid intake before bed:

  Fewer fluids at night will help you avoid waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. If you frequently get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night consider installing motion-sensing night lights to allow you to go to the bathroom without turning on the lights fully or motion-sensing bathroom lighting. Bed and bathroom rails can be nice home additions to help you safely navigate to the bathroom. If you are concerned about your balance getting up at night, consider bed and bathroom rails to help you safely navigate to the bathroom.

• Food regulation:

  People with PD often report constipation and/or acid reflux. Eating spicy or acidic foods before bed can interfere with your ability to lay flat and tolerate your sleep. Red meat and dairy products can exacerbate constipation and are harder to digest, which can disrupt sleep. Avoid eating a big meal 3-4 hours before bed due to the long process of digestion.

• Exercise:

  Research supports that regular exercise helps improve sleep. When you exercise it is a personal choice, but generally, it is recommended to avoid exercising close to going to bed. 

• Avoid caffeine late in the day:

  Caffeine will keep you up later and disrupt your normal nighttime routine and sleep schedule. I know it seems tempting to have some caffeine to avoid taking a nap in the afternoon, but this causes more harm than good. Caffeine generally tends to have more negative side effects like upset stomach, anxiety, nervousness, irregular heartbeat, and headache compared to napping.   

• Management of depression:

  The majority of people with depression experience sleep difficulties. The prevalence of mental health concerns is 40-60% of people with PD. Treating depression is very key to helping you sleep if depression impacts you. 

• Temperature check:

  Sleeping in a warmer room can make you restless and wake up more often. Sleeping in a cooler environment is recommended.

• Medications:

  Some medications can help with sleep. This is something you can explore with your medical team, but also looking at your PD medication is helpful. With assessment and guidance from your neurologist, some people use long-acting medications to manage PD symptoms at night. 

• Relax and breathe

  Breathing exercises wind down your body and helps calm your mind so your thoughts are not racing. Racing thoughts make it harder to fall asleep. Breathing exercises improve the body's natural production of melatonin. Breathing exercises do require patience and practice.  

It is very important to not ignore when sleep disturbances impact you and to talk with your healthcare team about it. Effective treatment of sleep disturbances will help you improve your quality of life and well-being.