<h1>Sleep is like an 80 foot great white shark - I think they must exist, but I doubt I will ever see one</h1>

The sleep of PD patients is profoundly disturbed, even relative to other neurodegenerative conditions. One survey has estimated that prevalence of sleep disturbance in PD at 98%. Another study I looked at said between 40 - 90%. So who knows? All I care about is that I have real sleeping problems and I read the condition worsens as the "disease" progresses.

Here are some of the symptoms I have had to endure over the past 4 years:

• difficulty turning over in bed - every night is a struggle. My covers have declared war on me and getting in and out of bed is a treat!
• feeling very sleepy during the day - (see below)
• vivid nightmares - I have a few but some of them were interesting, not scary, but the ones that were, scared the poop out of me.
• nocturia (waking up at night needing to go to the toilet) - What? Doesn't everybody?

Yesterday, while immersed in Duolingo (re-learning my french) I fell asleep - TWICE. Usually I get involved in the program, concentrating to the nth degree. I am driving my wife crazy with the noise from my ipad when the program rings a bell, or something, whenever you answer correctly or incorrectly. Anyway I have never fallen asleep before while doing something that challenged me intellectually. Re-learning french is a huge challenge because as the comedian once said "Oh those French, they've got a different word for everything"

In any event, I should not have fallen asleep suddenly and without warning.I got a little anxious so I did some quick internet research and found the following statement concerning PD and excessive daytime sleepiness:

• Daytime sleepiness This condition may result in a so-called “sleep attack,” a sudden onset of sleep that occurs without warning and may lead to serious accidents.

God forbid I should fall asleep while driving! I think my wife will do most of that now - it's more relaxing. I don't believe those stories about women drivers. I think the poor lady in this picture was an aberration....

Drive safely and sleep tight.