FTD and a new behaviour: wanting to stay in bed all day asleep. Should I be concerned?

[masquereader]

Ever since my OH started showing the symptoms that were finally diagnosed last October as frontotemporal dementia, his behaviour and personality have changed over each day. When he gets up, he’s his ‘dementia self’: angry, suspicious, unco-operative; but as the day progresses he becomes more and more recognisably his old self. I know that’s a gift for which I should be grateful, but it also means each new day is like a little bereavement … but that’s not what this post is about.

He also has low energy in the mornings, and recently I’ve got used to a pattern where he gets up mid-morning: but a few days ago all that changed. Yesterday (Sunday) was the fourth day in a row when he has refused to get out of bed until early evening, having gone to bed at a normal time: so he’s up approx 5 hours of the day, during which time he has a hot meal. I take him up a couple of drinks during the day and a mug of soup at lunchtime, and so far he’s got up to use the bathroom: yesterday only after a prompt from me. He has been checked by a doctor and there’s nothing physically wrong.

Is this a new stage of the disease? Am I doing the right things? Can I go out and leave him like this, or should there be someone in the house?

Thank you

 

[masquereader]

I should add that I don’t interact much with him while he stays in bed, apart from seeing to his basic needs, because all my interventions are unwelcome and get a hostile response, along the lines of go away and let me sleep

 

[Jessbow]

does he sleep thru the night? if so, leave him where he is if thats where hes reasonably happy.

if he is roaming around at night because he's wide awake, then maybe different

 

[Runawaytrain]

My OH started to do this, not getting up until 4pm at the earliest and despite me gently coaxing him to get up earlier several times during the day. Part of it was because he had lost track of time but he also said that he felt safe in bed; I guess he felt like everything was too confusing anywhere else.

 

[masquereader]

does he sleep thru the night? if so, leave him where he is if thats where hes reasonably happy.

if he is roaming around at night because he's wide awake, then maybe different

Thanks. Yes I believe he does sleep through the night (we have separate rooms, so can’t be entirely sure, but I’m pretty sure I’d wake if he was up).

I wouldn’t say he was happy. One of the reasons I’m anxious about him is that when I see him in the morning, he presents as someone who’s unwell, and unhappy. I can’t help feeling this is him giving up: one of the cruel things about FTD is he remains aware. He knows what’s happening to him, although his ability to communicate is severely compromised.

 

[masquereader]

My OH started to do this, not getting up until 4pm at the earliest and despite me gently coaxing him to get up earlier several times during the day. Part of it was because he had lost track of time but he also said that he felt safe in bed; I guess he felt like everything was too confusing anywhere else.

Thank you. Two thoughts to consider. Unfortunately the FTD has severely affected his ability to communicate, so I struggle to get him to tell me what he’s thinking or feeling