Sleep Disturbances in Parkinson’s and the Eagles Best Song Lyrics

“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.” Homer, The Odyssey

“Man is a genius when he is dreaming.” Akira Kurosawa

Précis: There are many manifestations associated with Parkinson’s; one of the more frustrating aspects is the alteration of sleep patterns. Herein is a brief overview of sleep disturbances in Parkinson’s. And in a recent evening of insomnia, I compiled a list of some of my favorite lyrics by the American rock band “the Eagles”.

Sleep problems associated with Parkinson’s: The vast majority, >90%, of people-with-Parkinson’s have some sleep-related problems. The factors related to disrupted sleep pattern in Parkinson’s can broadly be classified as follows: (1) Parkinson’s-related; (2) treatment-related; (3) psychiatric-related; and (4) other sleep-related manifestations. For further review, please see the following articles: Garcia-Borreguero et al., “Parkinson’s disease and sleep” (click here for the PubMed citation); Barone et al., “Treatment of nocturnal disturbances and excessive daytime sleepiness in Parkinson’s disease” (click here for the PubMed citation) and Chaudhuri et al. “Non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease: diagnosis and management” (click here for the PubMed citation). An expanded description of some of the sleep disturbances in Parkinson’s is given below:

Parkinson’s related motor symptoms that could alter sleep patterns include disruption from tremor, difficulty in turning over in bed, impairment of voluntary movement (akinesia), abnormal muscle tone that results in muscular spasm and abnormal posture (dystonia), and painful cramps.
Therapy-related nocturnal disruption of sleep from legitimate Parkinson’s drugs, e.g., dopamine agonists, levodopa/carbidopa, and certain antidepressants. The known side-effects of the ‘gold-standard’ of treatment levodopa/carbidopa include: dizziness, loss of appetite, diarrhea, dry mouth, mouth and throat pain, constipation, change in sense of taste, forgetfulness or confusion, nervousness, nightmares, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, and headache.
A significant portion of people-with-Parkinson’s exhibit psychiatric symptoms. The most frequent manifestations, which could alter one’s sleep pattern include vivid dreams, insomnia, hallucinations, psychosis, panic attacks, depression, and dementia.
Finally, there are other sleep-related disorders linked to Parkinson’s, which include excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, periodic leg movements, and sleep apnea.

“Daytime sleep is like the sin of the flesh; the more you have the more you want, and yet you feel unhappy, sated and unsated at the same time.” Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose

Sleep-related problems from Parkinson’s: Many people-with-Parkinson’s have a difficult time sleeping throughout the night. With or without Parkinson’s, a good night’s rest is critical to feeling well. Thus, understanding and treating the cause of the sleep-related disorder from Parkinson’s is important. The list described above is somewhat intimidating; especially in trying to sort out the primary-cause(s) of sleep problems from Parkinson’s. My sleeping problems seem to be related to the timing of when I take levodopa/carbidopa (I need to re-focus my effort to take it at the right time each day; not late in the evening), renew my nightly melatonin therapy (3 mg capsule 1-2 h before sleep); sleep apnea (now being treated by CPAP), and stress related to my work deadlines/professional goals-expectations (now being dealt with by increased time for exercise and better use of mindfulness-meditation).

Dealing with sleep-related issues from Parkinson’s is both complex and frequently multi-factorial. Therefore, given below are some websites that may offer guidance and suggestions to better handle your sleep disorder from Parkinson’s:

Nighttime Parkinson’s issues and how they can be treated (click here);
Sleep Disorders and Parkinson’s Disease (click here);
Sleep Disturbances (click here);
Parkinson’s Disease and Sleep (click here);
Problems with Sleep at Night (click here);
And from this blog: Sleep, Relaxation, and Traveling (click here); 7 Healthy Habits For Your Brain (click here); and try dealing with the stress from and the reality of Parkinson’s using Contentment, Gratitude, And Mindfulness (click here).

“Am I sleeping? Have I slept at all? This is insomnia.” Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club

“Frank, what’s your favorite line from an Eagles song?”: A recent Sunday morning on the golf course, my golf buddy and good friend Kim asked “Frank, what’s your favorite line from an Eagles song?”; yes, it came our of nowhere. My initial response was “You can see the stars and still not see the light”. He quickly replied “We live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key.” And I followed up with “I’m standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona and such a fine sight to see.” We talked briefly about the Eagles from the early 1970’s and their song lyrics; however, the thought stayed with me. If you need a reminder about the Eagles: “The Eagles were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner. With five number-one singles, six Grammy Awards, five American Music Awards, and six number one albums, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s.” [for more information, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagles_(band)%5D

“I grew up with another pretty darn good writer: Glenn Frey of the Eagles. We were very good friends, and we kind of studied it together.” Bob Seger

The lyrics from the Eagles songs take us to the limit(s) of our imagination: For me, great music has a memorable beat and meaningful lyrics; and you can just remember these songs years later. The Eagles were wonderful musicians, harmonized beautifully, and wrote songs with a lot of imaginative/descriptive lyrics. The other night, I started listening to the Eagles and decided to compile a list of some of their best (i.e., my favorite) lyrics. I had iTunes open and would start listening and then search for lyrics to certain songs (those that brought back the most memories). I also used my Echo Dot by saying things like “Alexa, play Desperado by the Eagles”. At 5:00 AM the next morning, I had 27 favorite lyrics from 24 songs; the result of a very fun and reflective evening. There is no accompanying narrative to the included lyrics, just the song title/album title/album cover. All lyrics for the songs by the Eagles were found here: http://www.azlyrics.com/

“The records in the house I really remember were, well, Glen Campbell’s ‘Wichita Lineman’ and ‘Galveston.’ Even as a kid, I knew these songs were glorious. My dad also had records by Merle Haggard, Charley Pride, Waylon Jennings, and then there was also the Eagles and Don Henley. Anything Texas, which includes Don Henley, was big.” Keith Urban

Album: “The Eagles” (1972)

“Take It Easy”
I gotta know if your sweet love is
gonna save me
We may lose and we may win though
we will never be here again

“Peaceful Easy Feeling”
I like the way your sparkling earrings lay,
Against your skin, it’s so brown.
And I wanna sleep with you in the desert tonight
With a billion stars all around.

“Most Of Us Are Sad”
Most of us are sad
No one lets it show
I’ve been shadows of myself
How was I to know?

Most of us are sad it’s true
Still we must go on

Album: “Desperado” (1973)

“Desperado”
It may be rainin’, but there’s a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you (let somebody love you)
You better let somebody love you before it’s too late

“Saturday Night”
What a tangled web we weave
Go ’round with circumstance
Someone show me how to tell the dancer
From the dance

“Doolin-Dalton / Desperado Reprise”
The queen of diamonds let you down,
She was just an empty fable
The queen of hearts you say you never met

Album: “On The Border” (1974)

“Already Gone”
Just remember this, my girl, when you look up in the sky
You can see the stars and still not see the light (that’s right)

“Already Gone”
So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains
And we never even know we have the key

“My Man”
No man’s got it made till he’s far beyond the pain
And we who must remain go on living just the same

“The Best Of My Love”
I’m goin’ back in time
And it’s a sweet dream
It was a quiet night
And I would be all right
If i could go on sleepin’

“The Best Of My Love”
But here in my heart I give you the best of my love

Album: “One Of These Nights” (1975)

“One Of These Nights”
The full moon is calling
The fever is high
And the wicked wind whispers
And moans

“Take It To The Limit”
If it all fell to pieces tomorrow
Would you still be mine?

“Lyin’ Eyes”
Ain’t it funny how your new life didn’t change things
You’re still the same old girl you used to be

Album: “Hotel California” (1976)

“Victim Of Love”
Some people never come clean
I think you know what I mean
You’re walkin’ the wire, pain and desire
Looking for love in between

“Hotel California”
“Please bring me my wine”
He said, “We haven’t had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine”
And still those voices are calling from far away,
Wake you up in the middle of the night

“Hotel California”
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget

“New Kid In Town”
You look in her eyes; the music begins to play
Hopeless romantics, here we go again

“Wasted Time”
And maybe someday we will find , that it wasn’t really wasted time

Album: “The Long Run” (1979)

“I Can’t Tell You Why”
Aren’t we the same two people who live
through years in the dark?
Ahh…
Every time I try to walk away
Something makes me turn around and stay
And I can’t tell you why

“The Sad Cafe”
Some of their dreams came true,
some just passed away
And some of them stayed behind
inside the Sad Cafe.

Album: “Eagles Live” (1980)

“Seven Bridges Road”
There are stars in the Southern sky
And if ever you decide
You should go
There is a taste of thyme sweetened honey
Down the Seven Bridges Road

Album: “Hell Freezes Over” (1994)

“Get Over It”
Complain about the present and blame it on the past
I’d like to find your inner child and kick its little ass

“Love Will Keep Us Alive”
I was standing
All alone against the world outside
You were searching
For a place to hide
Lost and lonely
Now you’ve given me the will to survive
When we’re hungry, love will keep us alive

“Learn To Be Still”
Now the flowers in your garden
They don’t smell so sweet
Maybe you’ve forgotten
The heaven lying at your feet

“Pretty Maids All In A Row”
Why do we give up our hearts to the past?

Album: “Long Road Out Of Eden” (2007)

“It’s Your World Now”
A perfect day, the sun is sinkin’ low
As evening falls, the gentle breezes blow
The time we shared went by so fast
Just like a dream, we knew it couldn’t last
But I’d do it all again
If I could, somehow
But I must be leavin’ soon
It’s your world now

“I’ve dreamed a lot. I’m tired now from dreaming but not tired of dreaming. No one tires of dreaming, because to dream is to forget, and forgetting does not weigh on us, it is a dreamless sleep throughout which we remain awake. In dreams I have achieved everything.” Fernando Pessoa

Cover photo credit: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/e5/aa/eb/e5aaeb8a5363fdeacccb567becee86b6.jpg

Save