March 10, 2014

We had a great speaker at the Marblehead Parkinson’s support group meeting this week!

Cathi Thomas, a registered nurse and coordinator of the APDA Mass Chapter Information and Referral Center at Boston University Medical Center, spoke about Parkinson’s sleep disorders. Cathi and Dr. Joseph Friedman, highly respected for his work with Parkinson’s  and author of Making the Connection Between Brain & Behavior (2nd edition, 2013), presented valuable information at the World Parkinson’s Congress in Montreal, Canada, in October, 2013 that our own Keith and Linda Hall attended. But what do sleep disorders and exercise have to do with one another?

At the support meeting in Marblehead, Cathi reviewed two case studies and treatment approaches from the Montreal presentation.  Interestingly, from our perspective, at the top of the recommended sleep hygiene list was “exercise during the day”, as well as “exercise regularly and with specificity”.

If you’re experiencing trouble with sleep, please remember to explore the idea of some type of regular exercise as part of a treatment approach.