A large number of people with Parkinson’s disease experience severe REM (rapid eye movement) throughout the sleep cycle. It is during this interval of REM that dreams materialize. REM generally takes place 3-6 instances per night at intervals of 1-2 hours at various times during the night lasting a few minutes to a good hour which comprises about 20% of sleep.

Additional symptoms of REM throughout this cycle of sleep are abnormal breathing and heartrate furthermore there might well be muscle spasms or jerks a few of which could be violent. There may well be nightmares connected with REM for those individuals with Parkinson’s with actions varying from sobbing, thrashing and punching to shouting during the night as they try to escape or protect themselves in these nightmares. This isn’t that uncommon for PD. This stage of sleeping with REM is when the most realistic dreaming occurs which could be demonstrated in nightmares and they actually may act out the dream in their sleep which can be aggressive injuring themselves or others.