If we knew that the Covid-19 pandemic had had a impact on sleep and nightmares, it would be at the origin of a new little-known disorder, the disorder of the staging of dreams. Normally, 2 to 3% of adults over 60 are affected by this rare disease, called REM sleep behavior disorder. The normally automatic paralysis during REM sleep no longer occurs, which leads people who suffer from this pathology to physically realize their dreams. “They may punch or wave their arms in the air, make running movements or even jump out of bed, sometimes resulting in injury to themselves or their partner“, said Professor Yaping Liu, who led a study on the subject.
Published on April 26 in the Journal of Sleep Researchthis study shows that dream acting disorder quadrupled during the pandemic. The researchers relied on data from an online survey on sleep during Covid (ICOSS study conducted by the University of Laval), which gathered 26,539 people from 15 different countries. One of the questions was about physically fulfilling your dreams at night.
8% of patients infected with Covid-19 affected
“We found that the prevalence of dream acting behavior was two to four times higher than previous studies that were conducted in the general population outside of pandemic times.“, Prof. Liu said.”Moreover, in subjects who reported a diagnosis of Covid-19, it was two or three times higher, compared to uninfected subjects.“
Indeed, the study showed that 8% of people who received a positive diagnosis of Covid-19 regularly experienced the phenomenon, compared to only 3% of those who had never been infected. “Covid-19 survivors have reported a two to three times higher risk of suffering from dream acting disorders, especially among those with olfactory dysfunction and gastrointestinal symptoms“, completes the study.
A precursor to Parkinson’s disease
This phenomenon of the staging of dreams can sometimes be a suggestive of Parkinson’s disease. Thus, it would be possible that the Covid-19 triggered brain changes, which could thus increase the risk of onset of the neurological disease. But scientists are reassuring and give another completely rational explanation for this disorder: it could be the manifestation of stress created by the pandemic.
“Dream acting behaviors can also occur as a result of other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, and have also been reported by people with post-traumatic stress or who have nightmares“, concluded Professor Yaping Liu, who specified that other studies were still necessary to establish a definitive link with Covid-19.
Source :
- Dream-enactment behaviors during the Covid-19 pandemic: an international Covid-19 sleep study, Journal of Sleep ResearchApril 26, 2022
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