Kicking , punching and moving around during sleep might be an early sign of Parkinson 's disease , a new review suggests . Moving around in sleep , and seeming to 'act out ' dreams is a characteristic of a condition called rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder ( RBD ) . Researchers have discovered about half of people with RBD will develop Parkinson 's disease or another neurological disorder within a decade of being diagnosed , LiveScience reports . People with rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder ( RBD ) move around in their sleep and 'act out ' their dreams . Up to 90 per cent of people with the condition will develop a neurological condition , a study found . Ultimately , 81 to 90 per cent of patients with RBG with develop a neurodegenerative disorder , they found . 'If you get this disorder and live long enough , you will almost certainly get Parkinson 's disease or a condition similar to it — it 's an early warning sign , ' said Professor Michael Howell , of the University of Minnesota , and co-author of the study . People with RBD describe having vivid dreams , and they act them out theatrically while asleep . They can be fighting enemies , or fleeing danger , and actually act out these dreams in their beds . This can range from making small hand movements to thrashing around , punching , kicking and jumping out of bed . Sometimes , people with the condition can injure themselves or anyone sharing a bed with them . 'It 's very important to make the bedroom environment [ as ] safe as possible ' by removing objects that can be picked up or used as a weapon , such as guns , Professor Howell said . People with RBD move around during the rapid eye movement period of sleep , when most dreaming occurs but the body 's muscles are usually paralysed by the brain stem . Those with the condition are believed to have a malfunction in their brain-stem which allows them to move around during REM sleep , and therefore act out their dreams . For most people , dreaming is purely a 'mental ' activity : dreams occur in the mind while the body is at rest . But people who suffer from REM behavior disorder ( RBD ) act out their dreams . They physically move limbs or even get up and engage in activities associated with waking . Some engage in sleep talking , shouting , screaming , hittting or punching . Some even jump out of bed while sleeping . RBD is usually noticed when it causes danger to the sleeping person , their bed partner , or others they encounter . People with RBD move around during the rapid eye movement period of sleep , when most dreaming occurs but the body 's muscles are usually paralysed by the brain stem . Those with the condition are believed to have a malfunction in their brain-stem which allows them to move around during REM sleep , and therefore act out their dreams . RBD is not curable , but it can be treated with high doses of the sleep aid or low doses of the anti-anxiety drug clonazepam . Source : National Sleep Foundation . It is a different condition from sleepwalking , Professor Howell explained , as sleepwalkers are confused when they wake up . It is normally easy to awaken someone with RBD , and they will recall clear details of the vivid dream . RBD affects 0.5 per cent of the population or 35 million people worldwide . While it is incurable , it can be managed with high doses of the sleep hormone melatonin or low doses of the anti-anxiety drug clonazepam . As part of the study , Professor Howell and his colleagues reviewed 500 studies published between 1986 and 2014 that explored the link between RBD and Parkinson 's . They found between 81 and 91 per cent of patients with RBD developed a degenerative brain disorder during their lifetimes . Parkinson 's disease , a condition in which part of the brain becomes progressively damaged , is characterised by a tremor , slow movement and stiff and inflexible muscles . It is caused by the breakdown of certain proteins in the brain cells that produce dopamine , a chemical that produces pleasurable feelings in response to rewarding activities . It could be that RBD results from the early stages of the breakdown of the proteins in the brain cells , meaning it could be a useful warning sign of Parkinson 's disease , Professor Howell said . However , not everyone who develops Parkinson 's will have RBD first . Nevertheless , the findings could help doctors find a way to catch Parkinson 's early and treat Parkinson 's disease while it is in its early stages , Professor Howell added . The condition is not curable , but it can be managed with drugs . An experimental therapy called deep brain simulation has shown promise in some patients . The study was published in the journal JAMA Neurology . Parkinson 's disease is caused by the breakdown of proteins in brain cells , meaning that part of the brain can not work ( pictured in red ) . RBD could be an early warning sign of Parkinson 's disease , researchers said .
Lashing out in sleep is a sign of 'rapid eye movement behaviour disorder ' Half of people with this condition will go on to develop Parkinson 's disease . Up to 90 % of people will develop another neurological disorder within 10 years . Sleep disorder occurs due to a brain malfunction - meaning the brain does n't paralyse the body 's muscles during the period of sleep when people dream .