After a night filled with restlessness and roaming around the house, DH and I are both tired today. I am determined to keep him awake so he will sleep better. I take him to Costco and have him help me put things away. After lunch I do laundry and other things. He nods off. I send him to the mailbox. Then, he nods of some more. I ask him to water the flowers in the front. Next thing I know he is gone. I get in the car and find him on the next street. I was concerned because he had not told me where he was going. Otherwise, I would have let him walk around the block. He has not interest in doing anything in the house and if he does, needs constant supervision. Does anyone have any suggestions
maryd-- I don't know what stage your DH is in, but mine is solidly into Stage 6 and he's done what you describe all through stage 5. This is a part of the process. Trying to keep him up and active is only going to wear you out. My DH can be up and about when required and when he wants to, but then naps after to make up for the effort. The napping hasn't interferred with his sleeping at night. What has is the fact that his brain is now oprating in the late 1980's when he worked 3rd shift, so sleeping days and being up at night is "His Normal". He still naps through "his daytime" or tries to. I let him keep the hours he will as much as possible, and use the time to get things done.
I found that just like a baby, you can't keep them awake if they are determined to sleep. I also found that even if he did not nap in the daytime it didn't make him sleep better at night. His sleep patterns have been disrupted from the very beginning. He will go days with very little sleep and then he will go days and barely wake up.
Thanks. DH is in stage 5, with some stage 6 behavior. Sometimes, I think he is just bored. Maybe he just cannot keep his attention on anything longer than one minute.
maryd--have you ever considered an adult day program? My husband is stage 6 and will nap off and on if at home, but if we are out or he's at his adult day center, there's no napping going on. As you said, I think it's a question of stimulation.
I agree with you Marilyn, G lays down all day long (literally), but is up and at em for his 4 hour time at day care once a week. Surely wish our area had more available as the interaction is so important. I have given up trying to stimulate him at home as it just makes him angry..."This is what I want to do....leave me alone". I can't even get him to go for a park walk any longer.
I had to do some keeping him awake myself yesterday. He got into his PJs and ready for bed at 4:30 in the afternoon. We had missed the normal time for turning on the TV set, so I did that, and got him his pills and some water, and just nudged him along for the next 3 hours. Got some soup into him too before he went to bed.
I've got no idea why he got ready for be so early, but I did not want him going in for the night quite that early.