A small study has found that Levodopa taken at bedtime can help with quality of sleep. The findings came from a small study of 23 adults, with early or middle disease stages of Parkinson’s disease, by São Paulo Research Foundation.
Many people with Parkinson’s have trouble sleeping, with difficulties falling or staying asleep or have vivid dreams. These symptoms can start years before the motor symptoms of PD develop. Poor sleep can also have an impact on worsening PD symptoms.
The study looked at how levodopa affected sleep by comparing nights when the medication was active (an on state) with when it was not (off state). During the research it was seen that with taking levodopa, the people slept better, with researchers noting a 7.8% increase in total sleep time and a 3.7% increase in sleep efficiency.