Alan Alda Reveals Sleep Disorder Was Early Parkinson's Sign
The actor disclosed that acting out dreams, a symptom of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, preceded his Parkinson's diagnosis.
Actor Alan Alda has shared that a "not that well-known" sleep habit was an early indicator of his Parkinson's disease diagnosis. Alda, 90, revealed in an interview with "CBS Mornings" that before being diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease, he experienced REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD), a condition where individuals act out their dreams.
Alda described one instance where he "had a dream that somebody was attacking me. And I picked up a sack of potatoes and threw it at 'em." He clarified that in reality, he was throwing a pillow at his wife, Arlene.
The actor, who received his Parkinson's diagnosis in 2015 but waited three years to make the news public, noted that he did not initially exhibit common Parkinson's symptoms such as twitching, tremors, or voice problems. Instead, his primary early sign was RBD.
RBD occurs when the brain fails to paralyze skeletal muscles during REM sleep, allowing a person to physically enact their dreams. While often linked to Parkinson's, not everyone with RBD is diagnosed with the neurological disorder.
Alda explained that he copes with the daily effects of Parkinson's by employing humor. "I'll be at the computer keyboard writing an email, and Dr. Parkinson is moving my hand all over the screen. I have the mouse, and he's eliminating things and he's deleting things that I need," he said, laughing.
He admitted to disliking the fact that his wife, Arlene, with whom he has been married for nearly 70 years, has to assist him with tasks like buttoning his shirt each morning. However, he frames these challenges as opportunities to find solutions. "What haven't I tried? And pretty soon, you get the feeling, 'If I keep looking for new ways to try this, I'll get a solution,'" he shared.
Alda emphasized the importance of facing his health battle with realism. "I don't want to wish it away. I can't wish it away," he stated. "I can't hope for a better future. I gotta accept what is." He added that he does not allow Parkinson's to define him, describing it as merely a "hobby."