I would like to share my recent experience regarding a sleep study I underwent. I discovered, despite not qualifying for sleep apnea, the study showed my blood oxygen level dropped to 74% during the night as I slept. I also have a high resting heart rate. They are trying me on a CPAP machine to see if it well improve my oxygen blood level as I sleep. You cannot have REM sleep when your oxygen rate becomes that low.

Others who have had PD for more than 5 to 10 years and fall asleep during the day, may want to consider contacting the primary care doctor to ask them to order a sleep study. The study also presented medical evidence that I suffer from restless leg syndrome.

I can only wonder if a consistant shortage of oxygen could cause damage to the brain or other parts of the body. It may cause the high resting heart rate I have leading to damage to the heart explaining a shorter life span for PD patients.