I was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s at the age of 46, and I have been living with the symptoms of young onset Parkinson’s for 13 years. I am not at all satisfied with the amount of sleep I am getting. I am averaging 5-6 hours of broken sleep at night, and I sleep for an average of 7 hours of sleep during the day. My sleep patterns have changed since having young onset Parkinson’s, and the factors impacting on my ability to sleep include difficulty turning over in bed, insomnia, frequent awakening, rigidity while in bed, night time urination, pain and depression. The strategies that have been useful or could be useful in improving my sleep patterns include increasing exercise during the day, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, avoiding stimulants such as alcohol, caffeine and nicotine before bed, using satin sheets and pyjamas to assist with movement in bed, getting as much natural light during the day as possible, limiting daytime naps and meditation. My sleeping pattern only really deteriorated in the 12 months. Before that I would say I’d have 4 excellent nights, 2 good nights and 1 bad one a week.
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