No sleep

[Kirsty3030]

Can anyone help. My dad is up continually during each night. Getting dressed showered letting the cats in moving furniture.
Been to the doctors , they re not interested. Prescribed a few (and I mean a few) sleeping pills - don’t really make any difference
Any suggestions to help
Thank you

 

[Grannie G]

Hello @Kirsty3030

I`m afraid it's one of the most common challenges when caring for a person with dementia. Their body clock seems to be totally out of sync and so many are unable to distinguish the difference between day and night.

Doctors are not keen to prescribe sleeping tablets. Our doctors believed regular use may cause an increase in falls which could result in hospital stays if bones are broken.

I know this is not much help for you. My husband was up and about at all hours and there was nothing I could do other than make sure anything dangerous was out of the way and doors were locked. There were times when I was so tired I left him to it.

 

[Grahamstown]

I have just searched for this topic and here it is. My husband has had dementia diagnosed for a year and has gone downhill fast. Now his body clock is out of sync in a different way. He is sleeping in late nearly every day now and yesterday he didn’t get up until 4pm. I had checked on him a couple of times but he was deeply asleep and I didn’t disturb him because it is simply not worth it because he is disoriented if I do. Every day is the same although yesterday was extreme. He gets up, has some food and drink and then says he must go for his rest. A couple of hours later he gets up and says he would like to go to the pub for a drink, his old obsession. He is still recovering from the cough virus so I persuaded him that it was a bad idea. He watched some television and then was back in bed. I don’t think he is up all night except for toilet breaks, so the bottom line is that he is sleeping about 75% of the time. Does this behaviour ring any bells with anyone else?

 

[AliceA]

Do you think he could just be having a spell of catch up? I know when my husband has an overload of sensory input, just like going out to a garden centre and a snack in a noisy environment he sleeps most of following day.
Same with hospital appointments even simple ones like going for a chest X-ray which was quick with no wait.
Xxx

 

[Grahamstown]

Do you think he could just be having a spell of catch up?

I do think that’s possible but it’s a trend that has been going on for some time. Up by 11am today and with encouragement he got his breakfast but served far too much and had to throw some away. He has taken to sitting in his chair issuing his requests and never moving. I am probably wrong but if he stops doing simple things he definitely will not know how to do them.

 

[Grahamstown]

Can anyone help. My dad is up continually during each night. Getting dressed showered letting the cats in moving furniture.
Been to the doctors , they re not interested. Prescribed a few (and I mean a few) sleeping pills - don’t really make any difference
Any suggestions to help
Thank you

I am sorry that I haven’t been much help to you because I have the opposite problem, hardly out of his bed. Does your dad sleep at all during the day? I do worry that all the sleeping in the day will affect my husband at night but it hasn’t so far.

 

[AliceA]

I do think that’s possible but it’s a trend that has been going on for some time. Up by 11am today and with encouragement he got his breakfast but served far too much and had to throw some away. He has taken to sitting in his chair issuing his requests and never moving. I am probably wrong but if he stops doing simple things he definitely will not know how to do them.

I do agree, I am working on enabling in all the time with mixed results. The smallest 'job' needs appreciation when done. Bless him I was just told go how tiring it was to put the washing away. This consisted of four shirts to be put in a drawer. Having popped out yesterday he has just gone to wash and dress before lunch, food was literally the 'carrot'. He has slept most of morning after going out with our daughter for a couple of hours yesterday.
I do ask him to do things just to keep moving a bit. Sometimes it would be easier not too I must admit.
I need him to do things as it reinforces where things are, this is hit and miss too. Sometimes things go back to a drawer used in a different house or time. Just the name of the game I suppose.
Xxx

 

[Grahamstown]

How similar our dear husbands are @AliceA after his late breakfast he asked very timidly if he could go back to bed. He was asleep again when I checked so I am letting him decide when to get up. He can do nothing regarding clothing or putting away things. He used to do several little jobs not so very long ago but not now.

 

[AliceA]

They are aren't they! Mind I would rather sleep than scaring the life out of me at 4.00 in the morning like last week when I was woken with a very old crash.
I finished the course, I had a gap halfway though because of my health but I have enjoyed it.
I am doing the next for interest, it all helps dispel the myths when talking to others.

 

[Joy1960]

My mum was diagnosed last July with moderate AD but obvs has symptoms for a few years before.
Since my dad died at end of Oct she has started to decline and I’ve noticed that she has ‘sleepy days’ where if left she would sleep the clock round.
It’s almost as if her brain has worked so hard all week n then just needs a complete rest to recharge.
These last two days she’s been very confused as to where my dad is and seems to think there’s some conspiracy with the info we’re telling her!
I’m hopeful that a good nights sleep will settle her tonight as she was up at ‘ daft o clock’ phoning me asking about a hair appt!
I hate this disease and all that it is for both carers and sufferers.