Hi any advice on excessive sleeping
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My husband has been much calmer , but the last couple of weeks his sleeping has increased at the same time I am reducing Lorazepam . Is this another phase any info would be helpful . Thank you .
My dad has VD, in a care home. HE sleeps probably 18 hours out of 24, it is the only way he copes. The GP has told us, it is all part of dementia as every simple task takes so much effort. Leeds xx
My reply might not be relevant because my experience is of really excessive sleeping, and your husband may not have reached that stage. Sleeping for many more hours than previously seems 'excessive' because adults 'normally' need between 7-9 hours sleep in 24 hours. I have had it explained to me that the PWD's brain has great difficulty reaching the type of sleep where the body's healing and repair take place. Thus they do not feel refreshed after a long sleep and can continue to be sleepy because their body is craving the right kind of sleep.
We find with my mum that sometimes paracetamol at bedtime relaxes her muscles and facilitates that deep sleep state. The next day she is often more alert, even though she still sleeps as much as Leeds' dad does.
We now focus on getting the best quality of life for her in the 6 hours a day when she is awake, and make sure she is warm and comfortable when she is sleeping.
I agree with Leeds that daily living can be exhausting, and trying to process too much stimulus makes the PWD need to switch off and recuperate. I know what that's like personally as I have ME and when I am going through a bad patch I sleep 10 hours at night, rest in bed for most of the day and still struggle to get washed and dressed by teatime. How can doing nothing be so exhausting?
A) if you're awake you're experiencing lots of stimuli
B) if you're not getting good sleep the wake-up/go-to-sleep hormone levels get all mixed up
C) damaged brains take longer to recharge.
We find with my mum that sometimes paracetamol at bedtime relaxes her muscles and facilitates that deep sleep state. The next day she is often more alert, even though she still sleeps as much as Leeds' dad does.
We now focus on getting the best quality of life for her in the 6 hours a day when she is awake, and make sure she is warm and comfortable when she is sleeping.
I agree with Leeds that daily living can be exhausting, and trying to process too much stimulus makes the PWD need to switch off and recuperate. I know what that's like personally as I have ME and when I am going through a bad patch I sleep 10 hours at night, rest in bed for most of the day and still struggle to get washed and dressed by teatime. How can doing nothing be so exhausting?
A) if you're awake you're experiencing lots of stimuli
B) if you're not getting good sleep the wake-up/go-to-sleep hormone levels get all mixed up
C) damaged brains take longer to recharge.
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thanks
Hi Leeds and Katrine , thanks for your replies , just knowing its "normal" for some people is a help . I find trying to keep him a wake quiet exhausting thinking of things to interest him when really he shows no interest in anything. I will take your lead and enjoy the hours awake he has. Although I am not very regular on here every time I have had a query there is always someone to help . I hope one day I will have some advice for someone at the moment I seem to be learning . Thank you to all the kind people who visit regularly and bring so much comfort to so many .
Hi Leeds and Katrine , thanks for your replies , just knowing its "normal" for some people is a help . I find trying to keep him a wake quiet exhausting thinking of things to interest him when really he shows no interest in anything. I will take your lead and enjoy the hours awake he has. Although I am not very regular on here every time I have had a query there is always someone to help . I hope one day I will have some advice for someone at the moment I seem to be learning . Thank you to all the kind people who visit regularly and bring so much comfort to so many .
Starting yesterday, my husband has announced at 5.30 pm that he was going to bed. By the time the hot water bottles were made and medication taken, it was still earlier than 6.00 pm. I was concerned at first since he went through a similar patch earlier in the year and for a week ran the bath at 5.00 am. This woke me up each time.
I realise that this early going to bed must be something that he now needs and just hope that he won't get up too early. It's disconcerting though!
The only medication he's on for dementia is Donepezil.
I realise that this early going to bed must be something that he now needs and just hope that he won't get up too early. It's disconcerting though!
The only medication he's on for dementia is Donepezil.
Unfortunately Otterman this is what happens with most forms of Dementia, they get to a stage when time means nothing, the days are long. In my husbands CH most residents wish to go to bed anytime after lunch, not knowing its only afternoon, most fall asleep on and off during the daytime, my husband now sleeps alot in the daytime, but once it starts to get dark they all start to wake up, not knowing night from day. It is not nice for you if he is up half the night.
Try to keep him up as long as possible.
Try to keep him up as long as possible.
My 80 yr old PWD also goes to bed at 5.30 after his bath and evening meal
Sleeps until around 7.0am but still doesn’t get up until around 9.0pm
My oh nods on and off all day, I put him to bed between 8 and 9 and get him up between 9 -10.30 this is a fairly new phase as up to 2/3 months ago he was mobile and would try to go to bed much earlier i.e. 5 pm.
