Tiredness
- Thread starter mikeb2
- Start date
Dementia usually makes people more tired.
You say you are getting some sleep, but perhaps you need more now. My OH often has an afternoon nap
You say you are getting some sleep, but perhaps you need more now. My OH often has an afternoon nap
This sounds like my husband. It’s very frustrating. He’s only been diagnosed a year ago - how long has your OH been like this, please?
I have this too. It started off being occasional but after 3+ years it's now every day and happens progressivly earlier in the day. It doesn't feel like normal tiredness and there's no choice but to go to bed. I set the alarm for one hour. It limits activities and feels antisocial when I have visitors but I just can't function so have to go to bed. I put it down to my brain having to work harder just to do things I used to take for granted. it's tired out and has to rest.
I'm glad you've found something that helps. Yes, socialising is really hard work. I saw someone being interviewed on TV who suffered with Multiple Sclerosis. Tiredness can be a major debilitating factor of this illness too. She said she regards it as having a certain amount of "energy vouchers" for the day and has to decide how to spend them. I thought this was apt.
Daisy...he was diagnosed 2 years ago...that means he probably had it before then...he's been like this...falling asleep in the chair...watching telly before being diagnosed.......when I switch the telly off..or change channels...he opens his eyes, and says he wasn't asleep...(.but he was snoring....)
My LO has started to sleep/doze an awful lot and say she is ‘just’ tired and to be honest she really looks it lately 😞. I am told it is part of the pattern. Wishing you well.
My wife suffers from dementia and sleeps a lot over the last few months. She also has dissociated seizures ,the neurologist calls it‘somnolence’ and that pregabalin is a cause of the problem. From posts on the forum that is not the case ! So is sleeping a lot a symptom of dementia or not?
Thanks for the detail - yes I can imagine this could go on for a long time. Thank heavens he doesn’t have pain or distress. But it is depressing him.
Hi @Colin47
sadly sleeping a lot is a symptom of dementia - as the dementia progresses the more the person needs to sleep. The brain is working overtime to process and compute the world around them - and is just exhausted.
When my mum first started to do this we worried - but soon came just to accept it and then embrace it. When I was a sole carer for her I used her sleep time for ‘me’. Now she is in a home I encourage the napping as it makes her more alert after rather than being in A constant state of tiredness and slight grumpiness
You would hope the neurologist had a much better understanding than a GP but very regrettably there seem to be areas where we know more than they do.
My husband is so much like this, never thought of the overtime energy for the brain. This disease is so tough, he can still shower, and do bathroom things, but cognitive impairment is getting so bad. How do we prepare for what’s to come?
It’s very hard to “prepare” for what’s to come, because generally what’s coming is that he’ll get to the point where he’s unable to get in the shower anymore or “do bathroom things” … and someone will have to step in and take care of all that for him. At first, it may mean assisting him in the shower, if he can still stand safely. Then helping him onto the toilet, helping him get in and out of protective undergarments (that we NEVER called “diapers” … so as to help him maintain some semblance of dignity!), changing his clothes and cleaning him up after accidents (and there will be accidents). Eventually, if his situation is anything like my dad’s, he’ll eventually become unable to move himself around or stand or walk. At this point, I learned to give him a bed bath every day and change his clothes (while in the bed) and got a Hoyer lift to get him up out of bed and into his wheelchair, to take him into the living room where he could be with us to watch TV and eat his supper. He could only talk in brief responses, by this point, and eventually started having trouble swallowing, so eating gradually went down to almost nothing. In the end, it is like caring for a helpless infant, dependent on you for everything. There’s NOTHING that prepares your heart for this, whether it’s your spouse or your parent … it’s heartbreaking, yet in so many ways, rewarding (when you can get past the emotional pain), because it was my privilege to be there for and take care of my dad, who had always taken such good care of me (and my mom and my sisters) our whole life. I just returned the “favor” and don’t regret a moment of it, but truthfully, there will be times when you think to yourself, “I don’t know if I can do this!” You may even think, “I cannot do this!” … and you WILL need some time to step away and recharge. No one can do it alone … without serious mental and physical burnout, so I hope you have family that can help or maybe professional help that can assist you. You’ll surprise yourself at what you can do … things you NEVER DREAMED you could do!! You keep going … out of pure love. I did these things for my Dad for 4 years … simply because I was not willing to put him in a facility and have him being cared for by strangers. But sometimes, people have no choice and they have to do that … there’s no shame in that! There are some good facilities with some very caring, dedicated healthcare professionals. You just have to be careful about the place you choose, if that becomes necessary. Best wishes to you in your journey.
