My parent refuses to sleep and stays up all night! What do I do?
I tried different things doctors PRESCRIBE but makes her worse! She has Dementia so prescribed medications wont work. She is very active on and off in the day at times but still walks all night up and down the house then when morning comes light. She falls to sleep I tell her and show her its night cold and dark and people need there rest to feel good but wont listen. All she says I'm bored lets go out. But its messed up my sleeping and I can't get any sleep There needs to be a place for people like them to go to for activities at night. I know I can't be the only one I'm going through this. It should be a place in every city. I heard there is a place but that's in another state back east I am In California. I am letting her sleep but sleeps till noon or later then up again all night! Help Me!
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Being that he can't do to the potty by himself anymore and my mom has to help, it's driving her crazy. AND add the fact that most nights he doesn't sleep (or is up a lot) my poor mom is at her wits end. We've tried keeping him up during the day but it just makes him more confused and it doesn't help him sleep better at night. He tells us he is always trying to put something together and he can't put the two parts together. We explain there is nothing to do or put together but.... We haven't tried a sleeping aid yet. Maybe tylenol PM but wrried how he will react.
I would get him out of his chair if he was falling asleep. Take him out for a drive. Go somewhere...maybe Walmart (spending money was a favorite pass time).
Then, don't let him go to bed before 7pm. Later if I could manage it.
On many occasions he would still be up. I had to make sure to hide things like the keys to the house and car...TV controls, etc. but, mostly I found that making sure he was more active during the day was what worked.
These people are your loved ones and you result to drugging them so they sleep.
I work in aged care, I work in the secure unit with 15 dementia residents and drugs is absolutely LAST option. Simple things like sitting them in the lounge, Maybe they just don't want to sleep in their bed would rather be on the lounge chair, at least they are getting sleep.
Also things like warm milo and something to eat, like a small bowl of yogurt or a few sandwiches they obviously didn't get enough to eat at their last meal. and cups of water. sometimes all it takes is a few glasses of water 30 minutes to let it go through the body, toilet then back to bed sleep all night.
drugs are an option but if and only if all the above steps have been done and they have been awake more then 5 hours during the night.
The usual concern is not that being up at night and sleeping during the day is harmful for the loved one per se, but that with dementia the loved one cannot safely be left unattended when he or she is awake. This is very disruptive to the household. The caregiver cannot be up all night and all day. In these cases I think that trying very hard to establish a more conventional sleep pattern for the loved one is justified.
She can't see to watch tv because she has macular degeneration and very hard of hearing. I bought her some tv ears but it was too confusing for her.
My poor sweet mom lived alone up until July and has declined so fast. I just hate watching her go through all this suffering. I just want her to be at peace.
It's a poor answer, I know.
The fact that all drugs, and especially drugs for the brain, have different effects on different patients, whether the patients have dementia or not. I took trazodone as a sleep aid and found it very effective. I did not have dreams. But it gave me blurry vision, so I had to discontinue it. My husband, with dementia, took a small dose of seroquel for over nine years, to help him stay asleep at night.
I wouldn't say the prescriptions don't work with people with dementia, but that it is very important to deal with a doctor knowledgeable about dementia, and if possible knowledgeable about the patient's particular kind of dementia.
Haloperidol is sold in the US as Haldol. It is an anti-psychotic absolutely not to be given to persons with Lewy Body Dementia or Parkinson's with Dementia. It can cause severe symptoms or even death in such persons. Unfortunately, not everyone who has that type of dementia has been diagnosed with it, so treading extremely carefully with this drug is important.
I suggest working with a doctor highly knowledgeable and experienced in treating dementia. If the issue cannot be resolved, bring in in-home help for the overnight shift.
Night restlessness is a very challenging, difficult part of providing care for dementia patients. My heart goes out to you and I wish you success.
Also with Dementia they have whats called "Surges" in their brains. Because some of the brain is starting to die the other parts are trying to compensate. Which I think gives them the surges. And the fact that they are sleeping so much during the day, night time is when they are active.
I tried the drug regiman for a week or so..but then decided to try and go my own route. I only give mom her haloperidol drops and 1 advil pm. It worked! Last night was the first time she slept and got up once to go pee and slept until 11am today. I hope this is helpful. I know how you are feeling so well. Hang in there.