Sleep
One of the most common issues that care givers face when providing care for someone with dementia is a lack of sleep. Between the stress of the day to day care and the struggles with getting a full night sleep, care givers find that exhaustion is their daily companion.
There are many factors that can cause a person with dementia not to get a full nights rest.
- The internal clock is disrupted causing confusion between days and nights.
- Elderly adults may not need as much sleep
- The dementia makes it difficult for the person with dementia to recognize the difference between dreams and reality.
- Diet changes or poor eating habits
A common “quick” fix for sleep is often the use of prescription sleep aids or over the counter medications as in common pain medications with PM effect. Consulting the physician is very important when beginning this type of intervention. These medications can in fact cause an increase in confusion as well as make the person with dementia unsteady and at risk for falls that might cause a break of a bone. Another important point to remember is that the effectiveness of a sleep aid is 14 days. After that, the medication is often not able to work effectively leading to a need for an increase in the dose.
Tips that Succeed:
- Change the diet: eliminate coffee or other foods/beverages that contain caffeine.
- Don’t drink after 6:00 pm. Trips to the bathroom at night may lead to difficulty falling back to sleep.
- Stay busy with meaningful activities during the day. The common misunderstanding is that when an elderly person is sleeping in his chair it’s because he really needs his rest. Often the days of sleep are caused by boredom and a lack of anything meaningful to keep him occupied.
- Keep a structured routine. As much as possible ensure that the person with dementia is rising and going to bed at the same time everyday.
- Ensure that the lighting is good all day. Shadows and poor lighting give the feeling of nighttime.
- Assess for all pain and treat it promptly.
- Avoid rigorous activity five hours before bed.
For more information contact 317-218-5111 or www.behomelivelife.com