7 tips
Many people with dementia are restless at night. They get out of bed several times and then have trouble falling back asleep. That is very difficult for carers. Try these seven tips to put an end to that nighttime restlessness.
In people with dementia, the sleep-wake rhythm is often disrupted. This is due to damage to the brain region where the biological clock is located. They wake up frequently during the night (five to eight times is no exception) and hardly go back to sleep after that. Or they think it’s time to get up, get dressed, read the newspaper and make coffee.
Anxious
Another common occurrence is that people with dementia wake up at night, not knowing where they are or hearing “scary” noises. They are scared and cannot sleep because of this. In search of safety and reassurance, they wake their partner. Or they call their son or daughter if they live alone.
Incredibly heavy
This nighttime restlessness can be incredibly hard on you as a caregiver. Caring for someone with dementia already costs a lot of energy. If you can no longer sleep enough, you easily become exhausted.
What can you do?
It is therefore logical that you would like to tackle the problem. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all approach that works for everyone. After all, every person with dementia is different. So it often takes a while to find the best solution(s). The tips below will help you on your way:
1. Make it clear it’s night
When people with dementia wake up at night, they often have no idea what time it is. They get up because they think it’s time to start the day. It can help to put a clock in sight. A dark bedroom also helps your loved one understand that it is still night. But beware: some people with dementia actually need a light to feel safe.
2. Create safety
People with dementia are often afraid when they wake up at night. For example because they don’t know where they are. Or because they sleep alone, while they used to always do that with a partner. You can give your loved one a sense of security by putting pictures and things in the bedroom that remind him or her of the past.
Your loved one may also be frightened by noises in the house that he or she cannot explain, even if those noises have always been there. Maybe your parent or partner will sleep better when the clock stops chiming. Or if the window is closed at night, so that street noises are kept outside as much as possible.
3. Get off that couch
Doing little during the day means (often) sleeping badly at night. So it is important that your parent or partner has enough activities so that he or she is really tired at night. Going outside, seeing other people or doing household chores; it all helps to sleep better at night.
4. Go for décaf
Most people sleep better if they have had coffee in the evening. Caffeine causes the body to produce adrenaline and cortisol. These substances are known to provide the body with energy. Does your parent or partner drink coffee in the evening? Then replace it with a decaffeinated version.
5. Address physical causes
Maybe your loved one is sleeping badly because of pain, shortness of breath, itching, fever or – which is very common – the urge to urinate. People with dementia do not always give a good indication of what is going on. Therefore, ask specifically: “Are you in pain?”, “Are you short of breath?”, “Do you have to pee?” Take your time here. If necessary, visit your doctor with your parent or partner.
6. Show the way
Perhaps your loved one does indeed need to urinate regularly at night. Then make sure that he or she finds its way to the toilet easily and can get back to bed afterwards. You can stick notes, photos or icons on the doors for this.
Leave a light on here and there outside the bedroom, but don’t use bright light. Your parent or partner may think it’s time to get up. Sometimes it helps to relearn fixed routes at home by often walking them together with your parent or partner.
7. Stay Friendly
Is your neighbor, despite your efforts, still haunting at night? Then try to get him or her back into bed gently. Easier said than done, of course, if you’re dead tired yourself. Still, it pays off, because if your loved one notices that you are angry or irritated, he or she probably won’t sleep at all. And you neither. So staying kind and calm will help both of you sleep better.
The Trimbos Institute and Alzheimer Nederland have made an online video training about coping with changing behavior in dementia. Watch it via www.dementie.nl/online-training.
