[Medical Q&A] Terrible dream interpretation - What is rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Fan Dongsheng, Chief Physician, Peking University Third Hospital

During the sleep cycle, there is a period of rapid eye movement, which is called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. During this period, people will have vivid dreams, but their self-protection function will relax their muscles and keep their bodies still. Patients with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) lose this self-protection function. Their muscles are not relaxed, which causes them to express their dreams through physical movements, which can bring dangers. For example, they may fall off the bed or even fall from the balcony in their dreams to avoid being chased, or hurt their bedmates in resistance to beatings.

The incidence of RBD is about 0.5% in the general population and about 2% in people over 60 years old. Its core characteristics are nightmares and abnormal sleep behaviors. Common abnormal sleep behaviors include punching, kicking, falling out of bed, as well as talking, screaming, groaning, etc. The causes of RBD are divided into primary and secondary: the primary cause is currently unclear and may be inherited from the family; secondary causes include drug-induced, alcohol withdrawal, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease.