Caring burden of REM sleep behavior disorder - spouses' health and marital relationship

Publication date: Available online 24 August 2016
Source:Sleep Medicine
Author(s): SP Lam, CCY Wong, SX Li, JH Zhang, JW Chan, JY Zhou, YP Liu, MWM Yu, YK Wing
ObjectivesIdiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is noxious due to the high prevalence of sleep-related injuries to patients and their bed-partners. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of patients' RBD on their spouses, in terms of quality of sleep, physical, mental and marital aspects.MethodA cross-sectional study comparing spouses of iRBD patients to the spouses of the age-and-sex-matched OSAS patients.Results40 iRBD couples (patients' age 66.6 + 9.1, male 90%; spouses age 62.9 + 7.5) and 35 OSAS couples (patients' age 67.8 + 8.7 years old, male 80%; spouses age 64.1 + 9.1) were recruited. Almost all iRBD spouses (90%) reported disturbances by the nocturnal RBD behavioral symptoms of their bedpartners. About two-thirds (62.5%, N=25) of the iRBD spouses reported a history of being injured during sleep. Spouses of both iRBD and OSAS patients reported a comparably high prevalence of insomnia, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Spouses of iRBD patients, however, reported more impaired quality of life and marital relationship. Nearly two-thirds of RBD couples continued co-sleeping, despite the risk of sleep-related injuries and nocturnal disturbances.ConclusionsBoth iRBD and OSAS spouses exhibited a high prevalence of insomnia and mood problems. In particular, iRBD significantly and negatively affect the spouses' quality of life and the marital relationship. Optimization of iRBD treatment, proper diagnosis, and management of sleep and mental health aspects of spouses may help to lessen the caring burden.



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