Confusion after Naps

[Nebiroth]

Does anyone find that they get confusion after someone has a little "nap"?

My Dad is pretty much OK most of the time, but we find that he is often extremely confused after napping during the day. Unfortunately he drops off to sleep at the drop of a hat and has developed this as a habit over the years!

It's almost as if he's still dreaming when he wakes up, or that his brain temporarily "loses it's grip" for a bit.

Usually its OK when he "comes round" but it's quite distressing whilst it happens.

I remember the consultant saying that sleeping on and off during the day wasn't a particularly good thing. It is better to get a full night's sleep.

As I understand it, the brain does a lot of work on memory when we're asleep, people with sleep deprivation become very confused etc.

I don't think we have much chance of changing things now, we can't prod Dad every two minutes trying to keep him awake.

 

[DickG]

Mary is not only confused after a nap she talks gibberish, however this soon passes and I assume that this is just another symptom of AD.

Dick

 

[Skye]

Hi Nebiroth

John has little naps all day, and is often confused when he wakes up. I have to watch him, as he regularly drops off with a cup of tea in his hand.

I would much rather he didn't nap, his sleep is very disturbed during the night, which means I don't get enough sleep. However, like you, I don't want to keep prodding him awake. I don't think it would work anyway, he's just get irritable.

Love,

 

[Margarita]

Thanks for the link to this page skye

you may want to read this Nebiroth , may or may not not be of help with the confusion

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/TalkingPoint/discuss/showthread.php?p=60663#post60663

 

[sue38]

My Dad has always has a tendency to 'drop off' even before the AD. He once fell asleep in the middle of telling a joke. but as we's all heard it before we didn't bother to wake him up to hear the punchline. We have noticed that since he's been on Ebxa he does nap more during the day. We tend to let him as at least we know he's at peace when he's asleep. He does have a tendency to want to go to bed early in the evening and he's awake with the lark. Again he has always been a bit like this and I don't see it as too much of a problem.
The problem I have at the moment, and maybe I should start a new thread with this (sorry new to TP) is that my Dad (82) lives at home with my Mum (76). She is a very capable woman (maybe a bit too capable) and will not accept that my Dad's behaviour - he shouts at her when stressed and I think when he realises that he is not the person he used to be- is as a result of the AD and is not the real him. I have tried to tell her as gently as possible that they are both angry at the AD and not at each other but she cannot help but feel that he is behaving in this way to 'get at' her. I know that she takes the brunt of it living with him and as main carer. She has me and my sister who are 10-15 mins away and will always come when she rings in an emergency - like today. When I got there he had taken the dog for a walk and came back fine. Her reaction was she had been going to cook a 'nice tea' but in view of him shouting had decided not to
Any ideas?

 

[Grannie G]

Hi Sue,

You made me smile at the thought of your dad dropping off in the middle of a joke and no-one waking him for the punchline. That was probably funnier than the joke itself.

It`s hard for your mum to learn to cope with the mood swings and changes in behaviour. You don`t say how long your dad has had Alz. but my husband was diagnosed 2 years ago and I still shout back at times. I know I shouldn`t and I could kick myself when I mishandle a situation, but it`s impossible to be `perfect` at all times.

While your dad was out with the dog, he`d have forgotten any incident that happened before he went out. But your mother will have stayed cross with him. This is what happens more or less all the time with me and I don`t seem able to adjust to the mood swings as well as I should.

There`s not much you can do really, except support them both, be there and be ready to explain what`s happening. From what you say, you`re doing that now.
I`m afraid it won`t get easier.

Keep posting. I`m sure you`ll get lots of support here on TP.

 

[sue38]

Thanks Sylvia,
I know from reading the posts that I am lucky that my Dad can still enjoy life. I don't know how long he has had AD, probably some years now but was only officially diagnosed in December. As he scored 14 on the 'test' thing I think some time although not entirely convinced by accuracy of test. He watched England win in the rugby and shouted at the TV as he has always done but was happy at the result. As you say he had forgotten the 'argument' but right now I am more worried about my Mum. I just wish she was computer literate and could find support here on TP. I have mentioned it to her but I would have to type for her which kind of defeats the point
Sue xx

 

[Grannie G]

Dear Sue, the strain is much harder for your mum. Your dad has the condition, but she has to pick up the pieces.

I know it`s harder to learn, as you get older but if she`s capable, she could learn to use a keyboard if she were interested. If it doesn`t appeal to her, then there`s not much hope, but if she could be persuaded, there`s so much support here, I know she would benefit.

Perhaps if you introduced her to TP on your computer, it might wet her appetite.

You can only try.

 

[sue38]

Dear Sylvia,

Thanks for your support. We are trying to persuade Mum to find support wherever she can, GP, local AS group etc. She is a very proud person and not quite ready to look for support outside the immediate family.

I have found TP a great help since discovering it on Monday and have recommended it to my other sister who lives in Athens and has to cope with feelings of guilt for being so far away although she talks to my Mum twice a week. She is a great support to my Mum as I am sure my Mum can say things to her she can't say to us 'on the ground'!

Sue xx

 

[Skye]

We are trying to persuade Mum to find support wherever she can, GP, local AS group etc. She is a very proud person and not quite ready to look for support outside the immediate family.

Hi Sue

I'm sure your mum will accept help when she needs it. At the moment she's relying on you and your sister, and it's great that she's got you.

But there will come a time when your father becomes more dependent on her, and she will need some 'time out'. All you can do is be ready to help her when the time comes.

In the meantime, is there a branch of Princess Royal Trust near you? Our branch runs computer courses for carers. They're small groups, so people get almost individual attention. People I know who go say it's given them so much confidence, and I've recommended TP to them.

You're doing a great job, keep posting.

Love,

 

[Margarita]

My mother also on exbiza , which I found seem to make her seem that she was back to her normal self , don’t know what type of relationship your mother , father had in the past or what your father Personality was before AZ. But my mother was always a shouting person , so when mum started on the medication I never new if it was her or the AZ her personally seem to be magnitude with the AZ anyway . the medication was bring her all back, as time went on with my mother and I saw the different when I went away on holiday for 2 week and came back to my friend not being able to give my mother her medication and my mother would drop them all over the floor and not take them from her .

I saw my mother laps back in to the AZ, then when I got her back on a level after a few weeks with the medication. I saw the different, so I new then that it was the AZ changing her personality and the medication bring her back , after a few years on the medication her shouting stop as she realized how dependent she was coming on me

 

[cris]

Yes Nebiroth. My wife is always more confussed after a nap. i try not to let her nap during the day, she is 58 so she should be ok unlike someone in their 70 / 80.
Last evening about 9 o/c Susan went asleep in my arms. I woke her at 10 ish and she was so confussed. Did not know where to go, did not know what to do with the toothbrush, did not want to remove her dressing gown - i let her go to bed with it on, - but she jumped away when I asked her to cuddle me. She has NEVER done that before. But yes morning takes a tme for her "to wake up". This is why she is more obstructive first thing. It sounds horrible but I find it best not to let her catnap for that reason, also it spoils her night sleep and she is up pacing about or looking out of windows.
cris

 

[Brucie]

but she jumped away when I asked her to cuddle me

I remember so well that first night when, as I went to get into bed with Jan, she said "I shouldn't be in bed with a man, my parents wouldn't like it".

Jan was in her 50's and we had been married over 25 years at that time.

 

[cris]

Brucie, they really are the hard points aren't they. We're men so no one will believe us.
cris

 

[Grannie G]

Dear Cris,

Of course you are believed. There are no boundaries or barriers with dementia. We all feel the hurt of rejection, male or female.

With love

 

[Noone]

Yes, my charge keeps dropping off too, if I wake her, she leaps up and gets disoriented and goes all wide eyed and looks surprised..
I cant help it but, I really laugh...it makes me giggle...but luckily, because I laugh she laughs too.

 

[Lynne]

We're men so no one will believe us.
cris

Cris, there is no "them & us" between male & female carers on Talking Point.
Jeez, it's bad enough having to battle with the rest of the civilised world!

Women may be pre-programmed for 'caring' (some may think), but if that's so it makes the achievement of you guys all the greater.

Hugs

 

[cris]

Lynne, thanks for that. It was kinda tongue in cheek and everyone else of course.
cris