REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

Overview

Patients treated at Mayo Clinic for REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) benefit from the knowledge and experience of sleep specialists who treat more than 50 patients with RBD each year.

The symptoms of RBD can be alarming, but the disorder can be treated, greatly reducing the potential for injury to both the person with RBD and his or her bed partner.

Seeking treatment for RBD also allows the patient to be monitored for signs of neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, or Lewy body dementia, which some (but not all) patients with RBD develop later. Early diagnosis may make the patient eligible for new and better treatments as they become available and help delay or better manage symptoms.

Diagnosis

Because RBD not only can be confused with other sleep disorders but also often coexists with them, it's important to get as accurate and comprehensive a diagnosis as possible. Mayo Clinic operates state-of-the-art sleep centers at all three sites, fully accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine; in fact, Mayo Clinic in Rochester has one of the largest sleep diagnostic facilities in the United States. Read more about REM sleep behavior disorder diagnosis.

Treatment Options

Depending on the severity of episodes, treatment usually includes making the sleep environment safer, and possibly medication. Read more about REM sleep behavior disorder treatment options.

About REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

RBD is a sleep disorder where the muscle paralysis that's normally present during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is incomplete or absent and the sleeper physically acts out his or her dreams.