Sleeping Advice Needed

[Michael E]

I posted this in the wrong section I think as this forum seems to be the active one - sorry if you read it twice!

My wife has Alzheimers - she sleeps a lot and worries that it is the medications that cause this. Yesterday I took her to the french doctor where we live here in La Rochelle - I response to her question he indicated that it was not the medications - she is on Deroxat 30mg Tiapridal 100mg and Aricept 10mg.

We normally go to bed around 23-2400 and she seems to wake naturally at 12.30 ish most days. The french Doctor indicated this was about right... Just wondered what the experience or views of others is??

 

[Nutty Nan]

Dear Michael,
I have asked myself the same question many times. I don't know what Deroxat is for, but my husband is on 10mg of Aricept and 50mg of Lustral, and he, too, has developed what seems like an excessive need for sleep. In spite of the fact that he is much less active than he used to be, he is likely to sleep for 11 - 12 hours each night, unless I wake him. Having said that, he usually gets up every 1.5 - 2 hours to visit the toilet, which means that he is not in a very deep sleep.
Your doctor is probably right in suggesting that this is 'normal'.
My theory is that apart from needing the sleep/rest, the lack of motivation to get up plays a big part: why get up, when your life is a big 'blank', or worse, a worrying and frightening sequence of difficult tasks, a maze of unrecognisable corridors and paths, a lonely place in a big, busy world?!
I shall watch this space with interest to see other carers' opinions.
"Salutations et bonne chance". Carmen

 

[Michael E]

Carmen hi,

Thanks for the reply - cos I posted the same thread twice they have got split and most people replied to the other.

Yes now I am almost certain the 12 hours sleep is not abnormal - so I will stop being concerned. I am going to try to persuade Monique to go to bed earlier - like 21.00 so that waking around 9 or 10 the next morning having lunch will be possible and she will feel more normal as well. May not be that easy as we have a sort of routine of my doing my thing around the house - shopping, cooking playing on the computer - but I spend all evening with her whilst she watches Coronation street et al...

She gets so lonely without me around - in her presence - but I find 12 hours of it does my head in a bit - I am hoping the sailing trip will give us both a bit of what we each want and be in each others company 100% of the time...

I do feel so sad for her - to have your head in such a mess - knowing there is something really wrong but scared to admit it - Monique dreams a lot and has difficulty in telling reality from the dreams - I just sort of go along with it or if its too complicated say she has been dreaming and then talk about my dreams...

Sorry about your husband - it really is a bitch this illness - but worse for the sufferers than us - really scary I would think. And getting so angry - well who wouldn't?

regards

Michael

 

[connie]

Agree - imagine waking up to a new world every day. Had to go away overnight a few weeks ago. upon going to breakfast in the hotel I did not know where anything was or quite what the normal routine was.

Realise now this is Lionels day, evry day. I am his rock, his anchor and if I am out of sight he becomes adrift. Such is life. Love, Connie