Smoking and pesticide exposure appear to be strong risk factors for a rare disorder that causes people to physically act out their dreams while asleep, even to the extent of punching and kicking their bedmates, research suggests. Individuals with REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) do not exhibit the lack of muscle tone — called atonia — that usually occurs during sleep, leaving them able to move freely…Boot and Dr. Brad Boeve of the Mayo Clinic published a study earlier this year that showed elderly people who act out their dreams have twice the risk of developing Parkinson's or mild cognitive impairment, considered by many an early sign of dementia, in the following four years, compared to those without the sleep disorder.
Additional coverage: Cape Breton Post
Winnipeg Free Press by Sheryl Ubelacker
Tags: Dr. Brad Boeve, REM sleep behavior disorder, Research, Sleep Medicine, Winnipeg Free Press