Alan Alda divulges ‘not that well-known’ sleep habit that led to Parkinson’s diagnosis

See more of our coverage in your search results. Alan Alda revealed he was physically “acting out [his] dreams,” which he described as a “not that well-known” symptom of Parkinson’s, before he was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease. “I had a dream that somebody was attacking me. And I picked up a sack of potatoes and threw it at ’em,” the “M*A*S*H” actor, 90, explained in a new interview with “CBS Mornings.” “What I was really doing was throwing a pillow at Arlene, my wife,” he added. Alan Alda (seen above) revealed in a new interview that he was showing signs of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) before he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. CBS The actor, 90, told “CBS Mornings” that he was “acting out his [dreams]” and throwing a pillow at his wife, Arlene. CBS Alda — who received his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2015 but waited three years to reveal the news publicly — said that he initially didn’t have the more common symptoms of the disease. “I had no twitch, no tremor, no problems with my voice,” he said. Instead, he was showing signs of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD), where the brain fails to paralyze skeletal muscles during REM sleep, which causes a person to act out their dreams. Alda (seen above) noted that his behavior was a “not that well-known” symptom of Parkinson’s. Getty Images for Netflix The “M*A*S*H” actor (pictured above at the 2019 SAG Awards) noted that he initially didn’t have twitches or tremors before his diagnosis. Getty Images for Turner RBD is often linked to Parkinson’s, though not everyone with the sleep symptom is diagnosed with the neurological disorder. Alda explained to “CBS Mornings” that he relies a lot on his sense of humor to cope with how Parkinson’s affects his daily life. “I’ll be at the computer keyboard writing an email, and Dr. Parkinson is moving my hand all over the screen. I have the mouse, and he’s eliminating things and he’s deleting things that I need,” he said with a laugh. Alda (seen here with wife Arlene in 2019) said the couple try to laugh about how Parkinson’s affects his daily life. Getty Images for World Science Festivals Alda (seen here at AARP The Magazine’s 19th Annual Movies For Grownups Awards in 2020) was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2015. Getty Images Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! “Once in a while, I get frustrated,” the actor continued. “But I find what makes me laugh about it, and then I go tell Arlene.” The Emmy Award winner did admit, however, that he’s hated the fact that his wife of almost 70 years has to help button his shirt every morning. “I do hate it, but the only thing that’s helpful is, ‘What haven’t I tried?’ And pretty soon, you get the feeling, ‘If I keep looking for new ways to try this, I’ll get a solution,'” he shared. The actor (seen here) waited three years to tell the world about his health condition. Getty Images for Netflix Alda has relied on wife Arlene (both pictured above) for things like buttoning his shirt every morning. Getty Images for AARP Alda also said he tries to remain in “reality” amidst his health battle. “I don’t want to wish it away. I can’t wish it away,” he noted. “I can’t hope for a better future. I gotta accept what is.” Alda added, “I don’t let Parkinson’s define me. It’s not who I am. It’s just a hobby.” Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across. 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions! Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules. Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!