Evenings are bad

[Jackimags]

What is it about evenings. After a fairly good day the shutters came down and everything went belly up. OH went up to go to bed 8.30 and by 10pm after being up and downstairs about 8 times he was still not in bed. I had a pile of ironing in the spare room where I do my ironing- and it’s disappeared! Will be a job tomorrow trying to find it- wardrobe, drawers, airing cupboard, washing basket- who knows!! It’s now about 10.30 and thankfully gone quiet. I have got more and more wound up. How does anyone else out there deal with this sort of problem?

 

[karaokePete]

That sounds like sundowning. Pages 19 & 20 of the Society Factsheet that can be found by clicking the PDF line of the following link will contain a few tips

Changes in behaviour (525)
PDF printable version

 

[jaymor]

It sounds like sundowning and I never did find a way of dealing with it.

My husband went upstairs to get his pyjamas out, then he went back up to put them away a dozen times a night. Then I would get, “ why are we here, are you my wife, when is my wife coming for me?

8pm became 8am and he was looking for his breakfast, 11pm became 11am and why were we not going out, where would we have lunch? and so it went on. I had to put imaginary people out of the house, shout at them to not return and slam the front door. Other times I was sent upstairs to feed the hoard of children camping in the spare bedroom.

I did all the right things, told him his wife was shopping but would be back soon, I would sort out breakfast in a short while I just needed to finish the dusting, I had fed the children and they were now all asleep etc, etc. Sometimes it worked for a short while, just enough time to breath in deeply and exhale slowly.
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[karaokePete]

By the way, I find closing the blinds and turning on lights early in the evening helps my wife as there are less confusing shadows and reflections - which can cause the problem.

I also take my wife out for a short evening walk to burn off her energy and help her settle to a TV program before bed.