Neurologist: Talking and forceful movements in sleep may precede Parkinson’s

Neurologist says forceful movements during sleep may signal Parkinson’s

Aleksey Vasilyev, a Moscow-based neurologist and head of the neurology department at Yusupov Hospital, said that talking, shouting and forceful movements during sleep may be among the early signs of Parkinson’s disease. Vasilyev noted that these symptoms alone do not indicate the disease and may appear years before some neurodegenerative disorders.

Scraper SystemAugust 17, 2026, 04:23 PM

Neurologist says forceful movements during sleep may signal Parkinson’s

Aleksey Vasilyev, a Moscow-based neurologist and head of the neurology department at Yusupov Hospital, said that some repeated movements during sleep may be among the early signs of Parkinson’s disease. These behaviors include talking or shouting in sleep, striking out with the arms and legs, sudden movements and falling out of bed.

Dream movements can be physically reenacted

Vasilyev explained that during the rapid eye movement stage of sleep, most muscles normally remain still. When this mechanism is disrupted, a person may not only have a vivid dream but also physically carry out the movements they make in the dream.

During sleep, a person may try to defend themselves against an attack, shout, wave their arms or move as though they are running somewhere. Sudden movements and falling out of bed may also accompany this condition.

The symptom alone does not establish a Parkinson’s diagnosis

Vasilyev emphasized that rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder should not, by itself, be considered Parkinson’s disease. He said the disorder may occur years before Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and some other neurodegenerative diseases.

He said sleep behaviors that begin for the first time in adulthood and recur regularly should be taken seriously when they occur alongside a reduced sense of smell, constipation, hand tremors or slowed movements.

Neurologist says forceful movements during sleep may signal Parkinson’s