Sleep disorders and daytime sleepiness in Parkinson's disease.

Patients with Parkinson's disease commonly have sleep disturbances that significantly alter quality of life but are often underrecognized. Awareness of the importance of these sleep disorders has been growing, and more research is being conducted. Patients with Parkinson's disease have difficulties that not only include falling asleep and staying asleep but also include excessive daytime sleepiness and abnormal events during sleep. These sleep disturbances are often multifactorial in nature, resulting from degeneration of the cortical sleep centers to effects of medications taken to treat the motor symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease. A thorough evaluation should be performed to assess for the presence of sleep disturbances and daytime sleepiness. Many therapeutic strategies can be used to treat sleepiness and sleep disturbances in Parkinson's disease to improve the patient's overall health, psychological well-being, and quality of life.