In REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, individuals may do what while dreaming?

In REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD), individuals exhibit the unique behavior of acting out their dreams. This occurs because, during normal REM sleep, the brain sends signals to inhibit muscle activity, causing temporary paralysis of skeletal muscles to prevent individuals from physically acting out their dreams. However, in RBD, this protective mechanism is compromised. As a result, individuals may physically reenact their dreams, which can involve anything from minor movements to more vigorous actions that could potentially lead to injury for themselves or their sleeping partners.

The other options describe different sleep phenomena: sleepwalking typically occurs during non-REM sleep and is characterized by performing complex behaviors with no awareness, whereas paralysis is a normal aspect of REM sleep that is absent in RBD. Daytime symptoms may appear in individuals with sleep disorders, but they are not a direct characteristic of RBD itself. Thus, the defining feature of RBD is the ability to act out dreams due to a lack of this protective paralysis during REM sleep.