How to deal with dementia sleep problems
Common sleep problems related to dementia
Unfortunately, sleep problems can be common in people living with dementia. The Alzheimer’s Society tells us, “A person with dementia experiences physical changes in their brain because of their condition. These changes can affect how much, and how well they sleep.”
One of the ways this affects people is that they find sleeping at night difficult and may begin to sleep more during the day. Sometimes this can be because of anxiety at being alone at night, or there may not be an obvious cause. Live-in care from Helping Hands can eliminate the worry of being in the house alone because your carer will be with you around the clock, offering companionship when you want it and reassurance if you’re feeling anxious. This can help ease dementia symptoms as being well-rested can help to lessen confusion and anxiety in some people.
What to do if someone has sleeping problems
Trying to understand why someone living with dementia isn’t sleeping is not always easy, but it’s important to try to eliminate potential causes so that only the cause will be left. There could be several reasons why someone isn’t sleeping that should be discussed with the GP or wider healthcare team, including:
Medication
It’s common for someone living with dementia to have other conditions that require medication. These could include depression, diabetes or high blood pressure, or they may be taking medication for their dementia symptoms. It’s important that these combinations are checked regularly by the healthcare team to ensure the medications are not causing sleeplessness.
Urinary Problems
If the person regularly has to wake up in the night because they need the toilet or because they are uncomfortable, potential causes, such as UTIs, must be ruled out. If they wear incontinence pads, it’s important to check that they are comfortable and that they’re not rubbing or causing irritation, or that they need a more absorbent pad that will last longer.
Inactivity or boredom
Everyone needs some form of occupation so that they don’t feel bored, whether it’s doing a jigsaw, listening to favourite music or going for a walk. If they don’t have enough to do, some people living with dementia can end up sleeping during the day through inactivity, which may mean they’re not so sleepy at night.
Confusion at night
Sometimes, a person living with dementia can wake during the night and become confused about the time, believing it to be daytime. This may mean they get up and begin what they perceive as their daily routine, become anxious, or attempt to leave the house. This can mean the person requires someone in the house with them at all times, such as a live-in carer.
Melatonin production
Dementia can affect the production of melatonin, a sleep hormone that helps us fall asleep when it gets dark. It can also prevent the brain from making melatonin, which means it’s harder to fall asleep in the evening. Trying to regulate the body clock by making their environment brighter during the day and darker at night may help to encourage sleep as it gets darker.
Disruption to sleep
A healthy sleep cycle will help to embed the sleep/wake instincts easier. Getting more sleep will help the person to feel more energised, be less confused, and have improved coordination. A clock with visual prompts for day and night, such as this analogue clock from the Alzheimer’s Society online store, has pictures of the sun and moon, depending on the time of day.
Supporting a person with dementia
There are many ways to support a person living with dementia, but the most crucial way is to try and ‘get into their world’ so that we can understand why something is happening. It’s important to remember that, even with dementia, people still act with purpose; they are doing something that may not be immediately apparent to us, but it is important to them. This could be trying to get out of the front door at 3pm as they believe they have to go and fetch their children from school, even if the person is now in their 80s. There are many circumstances where they may be behaving in a way that isn’t immediately obvious to the people around them, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our best to understand how we can help.
How Helping Hands can help with dementia care
Because we’ve been supporting people living with dementia for so many decades, we really are the dementia care specialists. We care for thousands of people across England and Wales every single day, helping them to remain as independent as possible in the homes they love. Caring for a loved one living with dementia isn’t easy, and as hard as loved ones try, it can put a strain on relationships. This is why having a professional carer can make all the difference to the person’s quality of life, meaning loved ones can just focus on spending time together. Leaving all of the practical care up to us, whether on an intermittent or full-time basis, will ensure that the person lives as comfortably and safely as possible in the home they love, and with all of our care regulated by the Care Quality Commission and the Care Inspectorate Wales, they’ll be in the very best hands.
