Excessive eating and going to bed at 6pm

[JaneDee]

Hi,

I have not posted for a bit. We have been managing changes in Mum's behaviour quite well recently but no matter what we do we don't seem to be able to help these.

Firstly, I am not sure if this is classed as 'sundowning' or if it is the light nights but Mum wants to go to bed at 7pm each night (some nights 6pm). I am told that after being in bed for an hour or so she gets up as if it is morning and asks for breakfast. She then may go back to bed at 9pm and get up again at 11pm asking again for breakfast. My dad tries to persuade to stay up longer in the first place but she pesters every minute saying how she should be going to bed.

The other thing which has been a fairly recent development is excessive eating (thankfully after the blue riband episode when she ate 8 on one go, more recently it has been fruit and nuts). My dad tries to hide the food but she finds it and eats it all. Yesterday she ate 4 bananas in one go which I am sure is not good for her.

I have tried searching the forum but nothing specific came up so any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

JaneDee

 

[janma221]

Not too helpful with advice I'm afraid only understanding as my Mum goes to sleep early, wakes up an hour or so later and thinks it is the next day. When we have stayed overnight she has brought us 'breakfast' at 11.pm and last time was 2.15pm. She wanders off at all hours as she has no concept of time. She looks as if she is putting on weight and has loads of sweet things in the house seems to have overtaken savoury foods. The alzheimers fact sheet has a section on sundowning which sounds pretty much like you describe.
Being flippant now but I could happily eat an entire box of chocolates if I didn't put weight on.
Jan xx

 

[1954]

My MIL searches most the day for food. At times it drives my crazy. I am forever hiding the food in the house

She would eat sweet things the whole time if she could. I try to prevent her snacking so that she eats her proper meals.

Bed time.......thankfully MIL has not got up thinking it is morning in the middle of the night. She is still good at reading her watch. Too darn good she looks at her watch every few seconds

So no answers either sorry

 

[Loopiloo]

My husband has been in a care home now for just over two years, but when he was at home he was an obsessive eater. I would hide food but he would find it, and it was even more a problem because he is diabetic.

I started finding breadcrumbs in his trouser pockets when washing them. Then discovered he was 'stealing' bread, shoving it in his pocket before going to bed.

He became difficult to get up, and often he also wanted to go to bed too early. He'd end up having breakfast about 12 o'clock mid-day then look at his watch at 1pm and say "time for lunch" and so on.... At times he accused me of starving him.

No solutions to offer, JaneDee, but I know what a problem it can be.

Yes, 1954, at times it drove me crazy too.

Loo xx

 

[jaymor]

Is it your Mum forgets she has eaten? We visit just after lunch and sometimes my husband has been slow and he is finishing his pudding. Then we sit down and have a cup of tea. I will say his lunch looked really nice to which he says he has not been given any lunch,. in fact he has not eaten all day

My thought on over eating is once a sufferer can no longer translate feelings, e.g. stomach pain = needing toilet, is the feeling of being satisfied food wise not recognised and added to the fact they have forgotten they have eaten, they over eat? I don't know, like with so many other symptoms displayed it is a puzzle that can't be explained.

My over eating is pure greed.

Jay

 

[SWMBO1950]

Jaymor I think you have a point. I am sure my mother sometimes forgets how long it is since she has eaten.

Sweet things are preferred as well as lumps of cheese for 'snacking'. Fortunately she sleeps well as is mostly soundo when the carers arrive in the morning.

Sorry not much help to Janedee but I don't think you every get to the bottom of why!

Is it your Mum forgets she has eaten? We visit just after lunch and sometimes my husband has been slow and he is finishing his pudding. Then we sit down and have a cup of tea. I will say his lunch looked really nice to which he says he has not been given any lunch,. in fact he has not eaten all day

My thought on over eating is once a sufferer can no longer translate feelings, e.g. stomach pain = needing toilet, is the feeling of being satisfied food wise not recognised and added to the fact they have forgotten they have eaten, they over eat? I don't know, like with so many other symptoms displayed it is a puzzle that can't be explained.

My over eating is pure greed.

Jay

 

[1954]

MIL definitely forgets when she last ate. Because there is no way she would eat the quantity she does. If I were to ask her has she just eaten, she would always say no even though I know for a fact she has!

 

[Redpoppy]

As I commented on another thread my husband has no recollection of when or what he's eaten after approx 30 mins.I bought a box of Packet Soups so that he could have a cuppa soup between meals instead of sandwiches or toast or buns/cakes.The other evening I had to attend a meeting for an hour,so did him a cuppa soup before leaving him.When I got back at approx 8:30pm he was drinking another one,but at 10pm he walked into the living room with ANOTHER (his 3rd) cup but I thought he was drinking tea until I removed his mug.I don't think I will buy them again!
I hope someone comes up with some tips that work for you and all of us with the same problem.

 

[JaneDee]

Thanks for the comments! We have bought a toddler clock which displays a sun or moon for night and day, so I'll let you know how it goes. Not sure how useful it will be though as in the past few days she has started going to bed during the day, I think this may be due to boredom. I need to step up the day centre hunt!

I have not found a solution to the eating, as many of you have said she probably doesn't know she is doing it and no longer seems to know the feeling of being full. Saying that in the last year she has lost a lot of weight, strange.

I have also been looking at the somewhat controversial doll therapy which we are considering exploring...