Serious sleep disorder or just vivid nightmares?

[LaNae]

I have recently read about REM sleep behaviour disorder and its links to Parkinson's etc. in the news. I am worried and confused about the difference between this serious disorder and having 'normal' vivid nightmares. Im a 35 year old male and ever since I was a child, I've had bad nightmares from time to time. They've got better as I grew older, but occasionally (say once or twice a year) I'll have a vivid dream and will swear or kick towards the end of the dream as I panic and am trying to wake up. I can't remember what part of the night this happens in, and it can take a while for me to calm down and realise it was just a dream, at which point I go back to sleep. I also have normal dreams and nightmares where I can't move at all, just my breathing changes, and if I sleep on my own I often get better sleep. I also have heard friend's stories of people kicking, shouting etc. during intense dreams. How do you know whether these could be REM sleep behaviour disorder or just vivid dreams, and why? I don't understand.

[BumbleGirl]

Hi Lanae,

The only way you will truly know is if you go to the drs and they may refer you to a sleep clinic.
It sounds like you are just some one who is prone to nightmares. Some people have a lot of nightmares, others don't or maybe just don't remember them xx

[anthrokid]

I'm not an expert on sleep, however I would be inclined to believe that for it to be considered a sleep disorder, this sleep disturbance would have to be a regular occurrence. I imagine most people might have dreams like you've described once or twice a year. I certainly wouldn't be concerned by it unless it was more frequent. Furthermore, it might be worth considering that you weren't concerned by this until you read about it in the news, which would also indicate that it isn't a really prominent problem for you, just something that happens every now and then that you've only become worried about due to anxiety :) Obviously, if you want a 100% guarantee, check in with your GP, but it doesn't sound like anything of immediate concern.