sundowning strategies please

Junibells

Registered User
Feb 10, 2019
14
0
These videos have been helpful thank you. My husband has Alzheimers with FTD variant. He was diagnosed 3 years ago. Last year he began to become very restless during the evenings from around 5pm onwards, sometimes a bit later, sometimes a bit earlier. He paces around the house , looking out of the windows, and fretting about how he will get to bed etc. I am finding this very stressful now as I can't relax after the evening meal. I believe it may be that he is suffering from 'sundowning'. Does anyone have any coping strategies for this behaviour please He also wakens up as I am getting ready for bed (we don't share a bedroom so is probably coincidence) and then sometimes won't return to bed because he can't but is unable to explain why. A couple of times recently he has stayed up all night which is exhausting for me. It would be interesting to know id anyone else has encountered this behaviour please and whether they have found any strategies that work. Thank you for reading this.
 

Shedrech

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
12,649
0
UK
hi @Junibells
sundowning can be difficult to live with, for both concerned
with dad, I used to stay as quiet and calm as I could, not challenging him if possible, just letting him carry on with whatever he was doing as long as he was safe ... even at night, can you leave him be and maybe take some time for a nap later
do have a chat with your GP as maybe some meds may help

this might have some ideas
 

Junibells

Registered User
Feb 10, 2019
14
0
hi @Junibells
sundowning can be difficult to live with, for both concerned
with dad, I used to stay as quiet and calm as I could, not challenging him if possible, just letting him carry on with whatever he was doing as long as he was safe ... even at night, can you leave him be and maybe take some time for a nap later
do have a chat with your GP as maybe some meds may help

this might have some ideas
 

Junibells

Registered User
Feb 10, 2019
14
0
Thank you for that information Shedrech. I do try to stay calm as much as possible. He seems to think at the moment that he has things to do and doesn't know how to do them. He used to do a lot of DIY and home maintenance and has lost all his skills so something must be triggering the feelings that there is something to repair. Our GP has prescribed low dose sleeping tablets and the Memory clinic Dr recommended that we had some low dose sedatives too for when he is not understanding who I am and where he is at night time. I can't give him them all the time though. I decided last time that he was downstairs all night that I would pop down to check on him and leave him on his own, he was safe and couldn't get out of the house, I always have the house keys with me. I popped down around once an hour until 3.30 , when I fell into a deeper sleep for a couple of hours. I came down at 6am and he was asleep sitting up on the sofa so I put a throw over him and went back to bed. He came upstairs not long after that and I was hopeful that he was going to bed, which he did, but only for about half an hour and then he was coming to see if I was awake every 10/15 mins so I decided to get up. I have arthritis and the stress is aggravating this and going up and down the stairs so often doesn't help because I am in need of a knee replacement.
 

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