Difficulty falling or staying asleep is common in dementia, and it can lead to significant challenges for caregivers. If your loved one with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia struggles with sleep, you’re likely losing rest as well. This situation can create a cycle of exhaustion that impacts the well-being of both of you.
This guide offers practical tips to help your loved one sleep better, addresses common sleep issues, and explores how to encourage restful nights.
Reasons Your Loved One With Dementia is Having a Hard Time Sleeping
Dementia often disrupts normal sleep patterns, shifting between too little and too much sleep. These changes are linked to how dementia affects the brain and can often leave caregivers feeling uncertain about how to help.
Adding to the challenge, your loved one may not be able to express discomfort or explain what’s keeping them awake. This makes it essential to watch for nonverbal cues like facial expressions, body language, or changes in behavior that might signal something is wrong.
To better understand and address these challenges, let’s explore some of the most common reasons your loved one might be struggling with sleep:
1. Brain Changes
The changes that occur in a person’s brain are the fundamental reason they are unable to sleep at night when they have dementia. Leading researchers and clinicians think that dementia alters brain cells and interferes with a person’s natural circadian cycles. When an individual’s circadian rhythms are thrown off, they frequently feel confused about what time of day it is.
Because of these changes, people with dementia are more likely to grow fatigued throughout the day, take several naps, and remain awake throughout the night.
2. Sundowning
Sundowning is a behavior that frequently occurs in seniors who have dementia. It starts when the sun is beginning to set and can last all through the night.
It is characterized by increasing disorientation, agitation, anxiety, and aggressive behavior.
Because of all of these intense emotions, individuals could have trouble settling down, falling, or remaining asleep.
3. Insomnia
Many older adults, including those with dementia, experience insomnia. This can manifest as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or returning to sleep after waking. Frequent daytime naps can worsen this issue.
4. Restless Leg Syndrome
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) and other concerns with irregular movement can both contribute to the common sleep difficulties experienced by seniors living with dementia.
RLS is a disorder in which a person feels an uncontrollable need to move their legs. This urge can occur at any time throughout the day or night. Moving your legs will provide you with momentary relief from this urge, but the need will typically return a few seconds later, forcing you to move your legs once again. This persistent urge, followed by the following movement, can be an annoying problem for some, preventing them from sleeping comfortably or at all.
5. Medicines
Certain dementia medications, like donepezil or rivastigmine, can cause insomnia or vivid dreams. Discuss any sleep-related side effects with your doctor.
6. Sleep Apnea
Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea, are another factor that may prevent people with dementia from sleeping at night. Sleep apnea is a condition that affects fifty percent of people who have been given a dementia diagnosis.
Sleep apnea is characterized by regular pauses in the individual’s breathing. This brief interruption in breathing has the potential to jolt the person awake. Symptoms include snoring loudly and/or feeling exhausted even after a full night’s sleep. Discuss with your healthcare provider any concerns related to sleep.
How to Get Your Loved One With Dementia Sleep Better?
There are a number of things that may be done to assist a person who has dementia, even though night time might be challenging for them. The following are some strategies that might help to develop a more healthy pattern of sleep:
1. Check for Medical Conditions
Conditions like sleep apnea and RLS can severely disrupt sleep. If you suspect either, consult a doctor for diagnosis and treatment options.
2. Optimize Lighting
Use blackout curtains at night to block external light, and consider light therapy during the day to regulate sleep cycles. Motion-sensor night lights can help promote safety during nighttime wandering.
3. Encourage Exercise During the Day
Assist a loved one who is dealing with dementia in getting daily physical activity. Being involved in physical exercise during the day can help with getting better sleep. Because being overly exhausted in the evening might lead to an increase in agitation, it is advisable to plan physical exercise early and middle of the day.
4. Follow a Routine
Make it a goal to sleep and wake up at the same time every day if possible. Make an effort to develop a schedule for the evening and the morning since this will assist in communicating to them what time of day it is.
Making the environment inviting & comfortable can also help with participating in a scheduled routine, and help promote sleep. A warm shower, familiar music, the act of brushing one’s teeth, the consumption of a warm beverage, or even the aroma of lavender on one’s pillow as a result of using a scented spray are all examples of activities that might help one develop healthier sleeping patterns.
5. Review Medications
Because the adverse effects of some dementia medications might make it difficult to fall or maintain sleep, discuss with the physician treating your loved one the best time of day to administer the medication. It is important to resist the temptation to offer sleeping drugs to a person with dementia since hypnotics and other sedatives might worsen the condition. Always contact the doctor for medication related concerns and suggestions.
6. Stay Hydrated
Proper hydration is essential for overall health and can play a role in improving sleep quality, especially for individuals with dementia. Dehydration can cause symptoms such as headaches, dry mouth, muscle cramps, and discomfort—all of which can make falling and staying asleep more difficult. For someone with dementia, these symptoms may go unnoticed or uncommunicated, further complicating sleep patterns.
Staying hydrated also supports proper brain and body function, which helps regulate natural sleep-wake cycles. It can reduce the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), a common issue for individuals with dementia that often leads to discomfort, nighttime urination, and disrupted sleep. Additionally, proper hydration prevents daytime fatigue, reducing the likelihood of excessive naps that interfere with nighttime rest.
7. Adjust eating habits
Some people find it challenging to get to sleep after a heavy meal, particularly if the food they eat has a significant quantity of sugar. Therefore, eating smaller meals and snacks, especially ones that aren’t high in sugar can possibly help to get a better night’s rest. You might also try having dessert after lunch rather than supper and eating an early dinner.
8. Provide Comfort if They Wake Up
If your loved one wakes up at night, try to understand the reason—whether it’s discomfort, a bathroom need, or anxiety. Speak calmly, and guide them back to bed with soothing activities like listening to soft music
9. No Alcohol or Caffeine Before Bed
Avoid caffeine-heavy beverages like tea and coffee in the afternoon, and be careful with other meals that may also contain stimulants. In addition, your loved one may stay awake because of some sugary drinks and chocolate. For a better night’s sleep, avoid drinking these types of drinks at least three hours before bedtime.
10. Promote Relaxation
The night time should be a time for rest and relaxation. While watching TV or reading a book might be challenging for someone with dementia, playing gentle music may be preferable. Cozy and breathable bedding is essential for a relaxing night’s sleep in a bedroom that isn’t too hot or chilly.
Wrapping Up
Caring for a loved one with dementia who has sleep issues can be exhausting. Prioritize your own rest and well-being, as your ability to care for them depends on it. Discuss any medication concerns with your healthcare provider, and explore non-medication strategies, like maintaining routines and managing chronic conditions. These efforts can enhance your loved one’s sleep and overall quality of life, making caregiving more manageable for you.
Reference
- https://www.agespace.org/dementia/help-someone-with-dementia-to-sleep-better
- https://stowellassociates.com/how-to-keep-dementia-patients-in-bed-at-night/
- https://www.aplaceformom.com/caregiver-resources/articles/manage-dementia-sleep-problems
- https://www.nextavenue.org/how-to-get-your-loved-one-with-dementia-to-sleep/
- https://superiorseniorhomecare.com/how-to-get-an-elderly-parent-with-dementia-to-sleep-at-night/
- https://www.assistinghands-il-wi.com/blog/how-to-keep-elderly-in-bed/
- https://www.liftedcare.com/13-ways-to-sleep-well-when-you-have-dementia/
