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Strong Link to Mental and Psychological Issues
Most dreams take place during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, a time when the brain can be as active as it is when conscious. When a sleeper is in the REM phase, the brain stops sending out signals to the muscles, effectively paralyzing the body so dreams aren't acted out. For those with RBD, this doesn't happen. Seeking to learn more about this phenomenon, researchers from the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University in Montreal, Canada looked at 30,097 people aged 45 to 85. The subjects were screened for many types of health condition and were questioned regarding lifestyle and behavioral, psychological, social and economic factors. They were also asked whether they acted out their dreams. Out of the group, 958 were identified as perhaps having RBD. After excluding those with sleep apnea and neurological diseases, the researchers found that members of the RBD group, compared to those without the disorder, were:- 2½ times more likely to be taking antidepressant medication
- 2½ times more likely to be suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder
- Twice as likely to suffer from a mental illness
- 1½ times more likely to have psychological distress
- 25% more likely to be moderate-to-heavy drinkers