What happens to our brains during RBD and how does it work
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REM sleep is when dreaming happens. Under normal circumstances, our bodies essentially temporarily paralyze our muscles so that we aren’t violently acting out our dreams.
In REM sleep behavior disorder, the mechanism that temporarily paralyzes our muscles is disrupted. We’re not entirely sure why or how yet. But the result is varying levels of people moving to act out their dreams. This can result in injury to the person (they can roll off the bed) or their sleeping partner (they can get kicked/hit).
Often RSBD can be managed with melatonin or a small dose of clonazepam at bedtime. It is highly correlated with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy Body dementia.
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