Sleeping

[Vonnalan]

My mom has alzheimers,shes having trouble sleeping,shes only having a couple hours sleep before she goes downstsairs,is there something i can give her besides sleeping tablets

 

[karaokePete]

Hello @Vonnalan, you are welcome here and I hope you find the forum to be a friendly, informative and supportive place.

Sleeping tablets, as such, may not be a good idea as they may not work for long but become addictive. They may also increase the risk of falls.

One issue that may cause this is depression and/or anxiety and these issues often accompany dementia. It may be worth talking to the GP about this as any treatment for that may also aid sleep.

Here's a link to a factsheet about this issue https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/symptoms-and-diagnosis/apathy-depression-anxiety

In case it may be of interest, here's another link that you can follow to do a post code check for support services in your area https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/find-support-near-you

 

[Ray96]

Hi Vonnalan. Is your mum possibly depressed or anxious?
GP started mum on Mirtazapine about three weeks ago for depression, maybe a bit longer now, I have found that it makes her sleep a lot, maybe too much this weekend she was more asleep than awake. Having said this she has become a lot calmer the last couple of days and is eating a little more so thats good news. She is on 15mg which does aid sleep, it takes a few weeks though to get the full effect for depression, 30mg is mainly for depression and anxiety and less for sleep so may take her up to that level at some point if the GP agrees. This may not be the right drug for everyone of course but you could discuss this with your GP.