Last Thursday night, he went to bed at his normal time. About three hours later, he woke up and started roaming. I ended up locking the door to our room so he couldn't get out. He would come back to bed for a short time, then up again. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep either. This has continued every night since.
The doctor is putting him on Depakote starting tonite. If it doesn't work, he will put him back on Exelon and Namenda (they took him off them about a month ago).
I hope it works as we both need some sleep!!!!! He can sleep in the daytime, but I can't!!!!
My DH sleeps well at night (thank goodness) - he does not nap during the day at all! But by mid to late afternoon he does get "sundowning" . Our doctors told us that with him it is due to end-of-day exhaustion (mental and physical) and reduced lighting in late afternoon.
If it is cloudy I always turn all the lights on in the house and keep them on until he goes to bed. Thankfully, he sleeps pretty well most of the time.
I've also been told that some of the sleeplessness may be caused by disorientation due to the inability to separate dreams from reality when sleeping. And, of course, the need to sleep less is commong among older adults.
I do hope the meds will help so YOU can get some sleep!
"disorientation due to the inability to separate dreams from reality when sleeping."
Vickie, that is so true. He is confused or disoriented all the time now, both awake and asleep. He carries on conversations with "people". They must answer because he continues conversing.
I was on the phone last nite with my sister. He was across the room and couldn't hear her side of our conversation. I would say something to her and he would answer!!! Then whatever he answered, he would continue a conversation in that vein until I said something else. Then he would start again. I had to go in the other room to finish talking to her.
My wife is a terrible sundowner - wakes up about 3 in the morning and sits up straight in bed - I can't get her to lay back down. Wanders all over the house, turns every light on and then goes back to bed at 6 a.m.. Occasionally I hear having a conversation/argument with the person in the mirror.
She can be dead quiet in the car for 40 miles but the second my cell phone rings I find myself trying to juggle two conversations. I know that she has sensory disorientation and I just roll with the punches.
With apologies to the Grateful Dead ... what a long, strange trip it's been
Too much stimulation can be a problem. Today, our youngest son came by in the AM. We were not expecting him, so that was disorienting. Then, we went to our planned Alzheimer group. Then, we had friends coming to go out to dinner. By that time, DH was disoriented. He kept looking at the calendar I print out for him. One thing a day is enough, all he can take. It is lucky he can still pretend he knows what is going on.After the holidays, I will make sure we have a quiet life. I hope.
My husband was up from 1:45 a.m. on night before last. He got dressed and tried to leave the bedroom (he can't due to the key-lock door) and kept me awake with his walking around, brushing his teeth, sitting on the edge of the bed, etc. - I gave up at 5:30 and got up. Last night, I gave him an extra pill (with drs permission) and he slept like a baby and so did I! I don't like to drug him all the time, but I can see that there are times we have to do so, in order to take care of ourselves so we can take care of them.
Maryd, if my husband has too much stimulation he gets in a daze-like state for a day or so. We also try to limit him to one outing or visitor a day. He seems to feel he has to pretend he is "normal" and it takes so much out of him!
Vickie, I guess the hospice doctor felt he was past the stage where it was working. He took the first Depakote last night with so-so results. He did use the bathroom a couple of times. The other times I told him to get back in bed and he did.
Mary, what kind of meds does your husband take?
Stimulation doesn't seem to bother him too much anymore. He just seems to tune the outside world out.
redbud (Mary), my husband takes the generic of Razadyne, Namenda, Lipitor and Mirapex. It was an additional 0.25 grams of Mirapex that calmed him down and allowed him to sleep. He walks a lot (read paces around the bedroom)and loses sleep sometimes due to his legs aching (he used to say that was why when he could talk), so we've slowly increased the dosage of Mirapex (for Restless Leg Syndrome) over the last two years whenever he starts being restless all night.
Does potassium suppliments help the aching legs? My daughter was having that and her Naturapathic Dr. told her in her case it was the soda pop leaching potassium from her body. She quit the pop and her potassium level is now almost normal and legs not aching.
Imohr, I don't know. My husband doesn't drink soda pops. He used to sleep in one position all night long. About 4 years ago, he started moving all over the bed - and from the head to the foot and back - several times during the night. AND he kicked constantly in his sleep! AND I was the person that the kicks landed on! I got to where I counted the seconds between kicks. <like divvi, I'll make a game out of almost anything!> Anyway, his doctor tested him for sleep apnea, and during the two tests, found out that in addition to sleep apnea, he had restless leg syndrome. He prescribed Mirapex, and the kicking stopped. (Thank goodness!) Also, his leg aches that he had during the evening went away. We've had to slowly increase the dosage over the last three years.
my husband had bad sundowners, I have a friend who owns a health food store she told me to put him on vitiman D says it helps cause the sun is where we get our vit. D from, anyway, it worked, has some sundowners but not as bad and now sleeps almost every night, with a few exceptions, he takes 2000 mil. a day around 4 in the afternoon.
My husband will not take showers in the day - without a confrontation and agitation, but he frequently gets up in the middle of the night and takes a shower. Of course, I'm afraid he will slip and fall, so I have to get up and help him step out of the shower, dry his body and guide him back into bed. He had surgery a year ago, and for two weeks after the anesthesia, he was absolutely wild from midnight until about 5:00 AM. Because of his hip surgery, he could not get out of bed - he'd fall for certain. The nurse would use wrist restraints tied to his hospital bed to keep him from physically hurting US! He nearly broke my jaw with an upper cut. He'd strip off his clothes - spit and curse. Thanks Be To God!...this passed in time. I was a wreck and we had different nurses every 2-3 days. No one wanted to come back. I hate this disease! and what it does to really good people.
Nancy, if he's still behaving badly, I'd ask the doctor for some calm-down meds! VItamin D may help but Chemistry is our Friend in this crazy AD world.