greenslopesprivate.com.au | 7
There are several sleep
conditions which may
prevent you or a loved
one from enjoying a
good night’s rest.
Sleep and respiratory physician,
Dr Amy Reynolds, explains two of these
conditions: Rapid Eye Movement (REM)
Behaviour Disorder and Sleep Apnoea
during Pregnancy.
Q: What is REM Behaviour
Disorder?
Dr Amy Reynolds: “Rapid Eye Movement
(REM) sleep is the stage during the sleep
cycle when dreaming occurs. Most of
our muscles are paralysed during REM
sleep and presumably this is a protective
mechanism to prevent us from thrashing
about and acting out our dreams.
In REM Behaviour Disorder, patients
lose this muscle paralysis. This causes
patients to display abnormal sleep
behaviours such as kicking or punching.
Unfortunately, in the process of acting
out their dreams, the patient can
frequently cause injury to themselves
or their partners. Treatment is usually
necessary to reduce the risk of injury.
REM Behaviour Disorder is probably
underdiagnosed, especially in women.
It is also strongly associated with the
development of neurodegenerative
conditions, such as Parkinson’s Disease.
To diagnose REM Behaviour Disorder,
we can conduct an overnight sleep
study at Greenslopes Private Hospital.
This enables us to measure signals
from the brain, monitor a patient’s
breathing, and record the patient’s
movements on video.”
Q: What is Sleep Apnoea in
pregnancy?
Dr Amy Reynolds: “Many pregnant
women complain of difficult sleep.
This is due to multiple factors including
reflux, restless legs, and general
discomfort.
It is therefore easy to assume that a
pregnant woman is tired and sleepy
simply because she is pregnant, but
research shows that pregnancy is also
associated with an increased risk of
developing Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.
This is due to normal physiological and
hormonal changes that occur during
pregnancy, coupled with increasing
maternal weight.
The prevalence of Sleep Apnoea in
pregnancy is thought to be increasing,
mainly due to the rising rate of obesity
among pregnant women.
There is also growing evidence that
Sleep Apnoea in pregnancy is related to
both maternal and foetal complications.
It has been linked with gestational
diabetes, gestational hypertension,
preeclampsia, intra-uterine growth
restriction and premature delivery.”
To find out more about Dr Amy
Reynolds, or to book an appointment,
call 07 3324 1699 or visit
www.greenslopesprivate.com.au.
Time to be
“sleep aware”
Treatment is usually
necessary to reduce
the risk of injury