Has anyone experienced their loved one with dementia go through periods of saying they have a headache only at night which prevented sleep?

My mother has had "terrible headaches" since the start of her Alzheimer's 6 years ago. She has had every test in the book (really, every one!) and they have not found any reason for them.

I did some research on Alzheimer's and it mentioned the patient can experience sounds and noises in the head. There was a video clip on the Internet that showed 2 researchers (about 35 years old) "living" with symptoms of old age and dementia. (They had foggy goggles put on to simulate poor vision, ear plugs to simulate hearing loss, rubber gloves to limit tactile sensations, etc.)
Loss of hearing, sight, smell, taste, touch-plus the confused signals from dementia through the brain-may magnify these sounds and noises.

Now, with a damaged brain and vocabulary, try to explain what's going on in your head. It's a jumbled up mess. They're mad, frustrated and confused and, on top of that, possibly medicated for the agitation that it causes. All they can say is that they have a headache.

I think this is what my mom is experiencing. It must be awful.
This is no way to finish your life.
May the Lord take me way before this.

Joyred1388, the headaches at night could be as simple as a sinus condition. Once in a while I get those and they seem to be worse at night when I am putting my head down. Using two pillows did help somewhat. Also Antihistamines worked for me, but that would be something you would need to discuss with your Mom's primary doctor.

I agree about discussing with her doctor to rule out other things. My LO used to complain of headaches a lot. She claimed it was sinus and took over the counter pills for years. In retrospect, I'm not so sure that it wasn't strokes, because, she developed Vascular Dementia. I had a complete workup, neurologist, MRI, etc. to rule out other things. After she got her blood pressure and health under control, the headaches stopped. So, I'd try to figure it out, so you can get some rest about it. And if mom is having trouble sleeping, they can treat for that as well. My LO takes a small dose of medication at night.

Is mom's blood pressure OK? I wonder if perhaps her BP is rising at night. Or it could be sundowning. Good to get her to her primary care physician. Good luck and keep us posted.

Usually, when you go to an ER, they recommend you follow up with your family physician. If you haven’t done so, especially since she was there twice in three days, I’d call her doctor and tell them what’s going on. I’m sure they’ll get you in ASAP. Your Mom may have what’s called “sundowning”. My mom had it and she became very upset and anxious in the evening. That’s when most of the delusions and hallucinations kicked in. If this is what’s happening with your mom, the only way she may be able to describe it is “my head hurts”. Call her doctor today and ha e her seen. Good luck and keep us updated.