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My 84yr old mother had a stroke 2yrs ago and fell and broke her femur 1 yr ago. She now is not mobile on her own. After her stroke she could walk with a walker around the house from her chair in living room to her bed. Since she fell. She can not get out of her bed by herself and is wheeled into her chair. She doesn't take several catnaps like some elderly. Since her stroke she barely sleeps. She stays up until around 4-5am. Then might sleep 2 hours. She will rest in bed awake but The most sleep I've ever seen her get was 6hrs broken up throughout the day a few times in 2 years. Doctors don't want to give her anything to sleep because elderly might fall but she isn't mobile and not a fall risk. For the last couple of months they did start giving her a low dose 5/500 pain med for pain. Doctors seem to think these make everyone who takes them drowsy. It was a 2 birds 1 stone for them. This med absolutely doesn't make her drowsy. It doesn't make anyone i know thats ever taken it drowsy. Never has. But she wasn't sleeping before this so no its not this med. I know that the elderly has sleep changes and I know meds like metopropol can reduce your natural melatonin production. So I've tried that. It doesn't work. I've tried all different doses. Ive tried giving it to her as a routine for several nights with the idea similar to supplements. How long can someone go with only 2hrs sleep per day? Yes there are consequences. She's more emotional, grouchy, forgetful, restless and tired but not sleepy all day.

I have tried the melatonin. As I said every dosing. Benadryl doesn't work. No she's not getting more sleep than I think. I wish she was.
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Reply to Cally2024
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Have you tried a low dose benadryl? My partner swears by half a tablet at bed when he's having a hard time sleeping. Interestingly enough it has the OPPOSITE effect on me.
Have they tried a low dose anti depressant of any kind? Would they?

You are correct that sleep disturbances are common. This one is quite profound. I think at some point, in order that you yourselves can get some rest, placement may be necessary. You are the only ones who can decide that.

Continue to work with MDs and tell them that the pain meds may actually rev her a bit (I find they normally DO) and that you need something that works even IF and UNTIL she takes a spill. Because this isn't working overall and daily.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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Have you tried 3 mg. of Melatonin to start? That might help. And if 3 mg. doesn't help you can go up to 10 mg.
Is she at least quiet in her bed so at least you can sleep even if she isn't?
And how do you know for a fact that she's only getting 2 hours of sleep each night? Are you sitting up every night watching her?
I'm hoping that you're getting proper sleep and that perhaps your mom is actually getting more sleep than you think, since I don't believe that you're watching her every minute of every day.
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Reply to funkygrandma59
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