Opioid treatment of periodic movements in sleep in patients without restless legs

Opioids may be a useful treatment for some patients with Periodic Movements of Sleep (PMS) and sleep disturbances. Four patients who had only idiopathic PMS and sleep disturbances but not Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) were treated with various opioids. Two of the patients responded with a more than 98% decrease in the number of PMS per night of sleep and a doubling of the percentage of sleep period time spent in deep (Stages 3 and 4) sleep.