Me Sleeping - For your viewing... er, pleasure

Ok, I'm gonna take one for the team. I have shared my home video of me sleeping with a very few people on here, but have been too embarrassed to share it widely. To say it is unflattering is an understatement. It was taken during a very low point in 2005, when I was near my peak weight and the augmentation of my movements was at its worst. Though I still talk of having a rough time at night, my movements are not nearly as extreme at this time as in this video. So, here's a glimpse of Periodic Limb Movement Disorder run amok.

Without further delay and before I chicken out, here's the link to the video, set to Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine singing The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You. My apologies for the camera position.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE7WA_5c73c

From WebMD: Sleep Disorders and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder
Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) is a sleep disorder characterized by rhythmic movements of the limbs during sleep. The movements typically involve the legs, but upper extremity movements may also occur...

Wow. That looks like agony. I think I'll stick with my nightly suffocation to having that. I am so sorry you have this problem.

Wow. I will never again complain about my occasional minor PLMs!

It was painful to watch that video because my heart goes out to you, K. But thank you very much for sharing that. I had seen doctors demonstrate PLMD that severe, but I had never actually seen it.

Yeah, WOW. That is a serious dilemma to deal with every night. Glad things are getting better for you, you are in my prayers.Thank you for sharing that with us. I thought I tore the bed up at times, nothing anywhere close to this. That would keep the dog off the bed at our house. I hope that only occurs for short durations for your sake. Take care! john

I noticed it was sans cpap. OSA was diagnosed just weeks afterward. Until then the limb movements rarely gave the OSA a chance to manifest. When my legs calmed down the apnea was symptomatic.

WOW indeed! I also have PLMD but I had no idea the movements could be that extreme. I am so glad for you that you have seen improvement. Thank you for sharing the video.

OMG, you poor thing..

did they discover what stage of sleep when you were in during your sleep study?

I cant even imagine what that must have been like for you.....

Thank you for posting the video, I really had no idea how severe PLM could be as I never seen it in action.

I can only wish you continued improvement... you are very stoic...

elena88 wrote: did they discover what stage of sleep when you were in during your sleep study?

In the several sleep studies the movements were in all stages except REM. In one study a few were reported in REM.

Again, these extreme movements are not the norm for PLMD, and were tempered when my medication dosage was decreased.

I know how you feel. My legs move at warp speed so I know how it is. If I'm not taking my meds, I don't sleep and my legs just keep moving around and no sleep. I take the generic for Mirapex. I sleep good when my legs are not moving. Take care, Huggies, Fay

that is very intersting that they were reported in all stages.. amazing..

and so there is a link between medication and severity of PLM, or was that just specific to your case?

I really appreciate you posting your video..

our bodies can do such strange things when we least expect it..

Did someone tell you that you did this while you slept, so you were able to shoot the video..

What it the world did you think when you first saw it? No wonder im so friggen tired? Did you feel like you were in the olympics every morning?

Kathy I still remember that video even though I saw it 5 years ago. I hope things are much better for you now. My heart goes out to you.

i am not trying to be funny,it looked like someone was using you like a puppet.can people with PLMD HURT Themselves and only feel in when they wake up?

Some meds, especially at higher doses, can begin to do more harm than good. I didn't realize that and just thought the exaggerated movements were the expected progression of the disorder. I had been on meds for this for several years. Part of augmentation can be that the movements act out of character. For me, they had begun to happen when I was dozing or semi awake and aware of them. On sleep study, what I described as semi awake was apparently technically awake so the movements didn't count, so a torturous night in the sleep lab reported only a few movements during sleep. Yet I knew I had kicked a lot. So after getting those results I went home and sat up the camera to see for myself what was going on. At my request they reviewed my study and said I had over 300 LM's during a 45 minute wake period.

Who knows how many others are out there like me and no one knows what's going on? Normal PLMD movements can be torment enough without unnecessary activity, but I don't think this is very commonly encountered, so the difference may not be easily identified. I would like to hear our sleep techs speak to this.

@tony72 - My earliest symptoms were muscle and joint and back pain for no known reasons. Was tested for RA, Lupus, you name it. In the full version of the video at one point when lying on my right side my left leg slung out at an awkward angle and you can see me grab my knee and hear me say OWWWW! This video cuts off just as that begins. My normal PLM's, seen in a more recent video, are more contractions than slinging. The puppet appearance is because I was not using my muscles to do these movements (I am not that strong anyhow), but the movements are more like an electrical shock response.

Are periodic limb movements distinguishable from ordinary restless sleep? I sometimes thrash about and I am not sure if I am thrashing around because I can't sleep, or if I can't sleep because I am thrashing around. I wish I could have exhibited this behavior at the sleep lab.

Thanks for the video. That looks exhausting. I'm very glad you are doing better now.

Wow -- I never imagined that the movements could be so extreme. I don't see how anyone could get any decent sleep through all that. I hope you're doing better now.

Thanks for sharing the video. While I know it was hard for you to do, I know for me, it was definitely one of those moments that makes me appreciate MY situation a bit more.