If you know someone with dementia, you may notice that they tend to sleep a lot. People with dementia, especially those who are in their later stages of dementia spend a lot of time sleeping. Sometimes this can be a point of concern for caregivers and family members. Continue reading to learn more about why your family member might be sleeping so much.
Overview of dementia and sleeping
It's very common for a person with dementia to spend a lot of their time sleeping during the day and night. Sometimes this is distressing to both family and friends as they may worry that something is wrong. Sleeping more and more is a common feature of later stage dementia, and as the disease progresses and damage to the person's brain becomes more extensive, they do become more weak and frail over time. As a result, an individual with dementia may be exhausted by doing the smallest of task. This can make someone sleep more during the day, as their symptoms can become more severe. Some medications can also contribute to the sleepiness, especially if your loved one is taking an antipsychotic, antidepressant, antihistamine, and sleeping pills.
Additional sleeping disorders unrelated to dementia can also cause increased sleepiness. Sleep apnea is a common one that affects older individuals, as well as restless leg syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, Lewy body dementia, just to name a few. If you notice additional symptoms, such as snoring, choking, sleepwalking, acting out dreams, these are all things that should be a point of concern for you as they are unrelated to the dementia and can actually improve your loved ones sleep quality separate from their dementia.
What to do if someone with dementia sleeps a lot
If someone is in the later stages of dementia and they have started to sleep more and more, it is likely due to the dementia progressing. However, if this excessive sleepiness has started all of a sudden, or the person is deteriorating in other ways, there may be another cause. If this is the case, then you should speak to their primary care physician or whoever is managing their health. It may also be worth noting that reviewing medication can perhaps clue you into an underlying cause of their excessive sleepiness.
If the person doesn't appear to be uncomfortable or distressed, then sleeping more during the day is actually nothing to be too concerned about. However, if a person is lying in bed in a sleep or most of the time, then they need to be looked after to make sure that they are not developing any physical health problems. For individuals who are in full-time care facilities or hospice, this could include bathing, changing positions, and using pressure really being surfaces to avoid things such as bed sores. If a person is at home, but does struggle to stay awake during the day, then this might be something to speak with their primary care physician about.
Why dementia affects sleep
Problems with sleep are extremely common for people with dementia. They can sleep more during the day and be restless at night, become disoriented in the dark if they wake up to use the bathroom, wake up more often and stay awake longer during the night, get up early thinking that it's the daytime, or not be able to tell the difference between day and night.
No one quite understands why dementia can affect sleeping patterns in the way that it does. For some, it may be that their internal clock, for which they use to judge time, becomes damaged and the person is sleepy at the wrong time of day. There are also other parts of the brain that control whether or not we stay awake. These may also not work properly if dementia has deteriorated them. Sometimes a person with dementia can completely reverse their normal sleep pattern, staying up all night and then sleeping during the day.
The importance of sleep quality for dementia patients
The quality of one's sleep gradually deteriorates as they age. They tend to get less deep, or slow wave sleep, then when they were younger. Slow wave sleep is important for helping one feel refreshed and rejuvenated. Without it, they wake up feeling exhausted even if they slept all night.
Even though the person who has dementia may end up sleeping 14 to 15 hours a day, it's unlikely to be of good quality. Sleeping a lot can also be influenced by some sleeping patterns that people had before they were diagnosed with dementia. Some individuals just need more sleep than others, and this can be exacerbated by a diagnosis of dementia.
Special cases: Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's disease
there are two types of dementias that can specifically impact sleep period those who have dementia caused by Parkinson's disease or Lewy body dementia are often sleepy but have very restless and disturbed nights. They can be confused, have nightmares and hallucinations, and even struggle with sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea.
A person affected with these types of dementia may unknowingly act out their dreams by shouting and moving around in the bed. This movement can even lead to injuries of themselves or their sleeping partners. When individuals start moving to act out their dreams, this is called rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. Normally during REM sleep, your body is essentially paralyzed so you don't hurt anyone, including yourself, during your dreams. This can be extremely exhausting and can leave the person feeling like they haven't slept at all once they wake up the next day.
It can be hard to stay awake after a poor night's sleep, but it's also important to limit daytime sleeping. Small bursts of sleep, including cat naps, are the best option for people who struggle to get to sleep at night. Otherwise, this can confuse the persons biological sleepwalk and make sleeping the next night even harder.
If your loved one is struggling to get a good night's rest, please click the orange button below and take the free online sleep test on their behalf. This will get you in contact with one of our sleep health professionals.
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/blog/is-it-typical-people-dementia-sleep-lot-during-day