A couple of weeks ago on a thread discussing excessive sleeping I stated was glad my dh was sleeping during the day a lot. Well, I have changed my mind and I am now very, very concerned about him
Each day he keeps sleeping (in bed) more and more. He is only 64 years old and is sleeping an average of 18 hours a day. After getting up after sleeping 12 to 14 hours during the night he is back in bed within one and half hours and sleeps another 4 to 5 hours. Later he dozes on the couch.
He does have a heart condition but after doing a lot of research it sounds to me like he might be in heart failure. I made an appt. with his doctor and can't get in until the 13th. Is this something I should be really, really concerned about and call the doctor again and get him in "like today"? Or is heart failure something that is on-going and nothing much they can do about it and it can wait until the 13th.
I don't know what stage your husband is, however, my husband does not have any health problems other than dementia....he sleeps all but about 3 hours a day. He is 60 years old. So I know it is the disease.
JudithKB - my DH has a serious heart condition (several actually) and he sleeps quite a bit as well. I would absolutely see the Doctor. Our cardiologist seems to think that my DH's sleeping so much is heart related, but there's nothing much he can do for him at this point. I know it's also part of the AD, but it could be something else. Please get it checked out. {{{HUGS}}} PS - my DH just turned 65, so he's failry young as well.
A lot of things cause interference with sleep (both excessive and lack of). I think a long list would be confusing and overwhelming. As long as he is eating and drinking (and urinating okay), he should be okay for now. Is he awake enough to eat and drink? Anything else change other than sleep (like breathing problems)? If you are really really worried, you can always take him to an ER (not always easily tolerable I know). Any new meds?
Thank you Dr. for responding. My dh has no breathing problems. Of course he does nothing except sleep, watch tv and eat. He was approved for the 60% VA disability last year because of Ischemic heart condition(Agent Orange Exposure) and I will be taking him on the 13th to see his heart dr. to see if this condition has worsened. I have checked his BP and it is normal. Other then walking very slowly he has few if any physical signs of ALZ. that would be noticed by others. His language has gotten much worse in the past 6 months. He cannot carry on a conversation with a stranger or family members. He has most of the signs of a 6 or moderately severe according to his neuro.
I have done more research on this sleeping thing (this is a sound sleep) and some sites indicate that it is a decline in the Alz. into the final stage. Do you agree with this? (Knowing everyone is different). My dh was dx in 2006.
Thank you again for your response. It is the not knowing what this means that is driving me crazy. I wait while he sleeps for hours and I am afraid to check on him because he might have died and then he gets up with a big smile on his face and I feel like I am the one losing touch with reality.
My DH is also sleeping more and more. He is awake for meals and a brief outing during the day, but he has begun to sleep all of the rest of the time. I wonder if I should wake him or let him sleep. He is eating, urinating, showering and dressing himself, but nothing else.
I just let my dh sleep I feel his body or whatever is telling him he needs to sleep and so be it...but, again, what do I know. This is scaring me more then anything I have been through.
He slept 12 hours last night. Today he went back to bed after being up for one and half hours and slept another 5 hours and it is only 6:00 in the evening.
Although I don't post much these days, I am so thankful to see this topic. I've been concerned about the same things. DH is sleeping most of every day too. He's got a heart condition but otherwise 'healthy'..(?) Diagnosed in 2005. Is 72. In ALF now and prefers his bed to sitting in a chair. 'Sleeps' most of the day except for meals..He pops up ready to go for meals and then right back to his bed. This has confounded me. I've thought the ALF was being negligent. Thats another topic..but it has helped me to SEE that maybe this is the progression of the disease and maybe as long as they are not struggling or pacing or escaping or raging, it could possibly be that sleeping is ok for now. Anyway thank you all.
May I ask why your dh is in ALF? I have been prompted by his neuro and a social worker that I should start looking for a facility to be prepared. My dh still seems very physically able. He can walk, but getting slower all the time. He eats good. He can't do anything to speak of because he can't seem to figure out how to do it. He just sits or sleeps.
JudithKB, it was an awful decision but I could not keep him SAFE. We live out in the country. He could get outside and was 'lost' I had to watch him constantly and if he decided to fill the lawnmower with gasoline, he did it even if I asked/begged him not to do it. He insisted on trying to mow and would break the mower every time.. He roamed over to the neighbors on the golfcart we got when he stopped driving and began picking up their possessions claiming them as his. When he began to get lost and obviously have difficulty FINDING doors to come inside after he had gone OUT, I realized that we couldn't keep up the vigil. He could get out in the middle of the night and did, fully dressed 'for work'..BUT If I locked the door he would have torn it off the hinges. Those were frightening days. I had hoped he would have more people around and be more social.atthe ALF,...but he was sleeping here too.. He never agreed that anything was wrong and that he was having difficulty of any kind. Even when it was obvious that he was breaking all the farm equipment he blamed it on other things.. There was no way to reason with him or discuss other options for having someone else come and mow or etc. Those days were awful. We placed him and now have a different kind of vigil..I had no idea how exxhausted I was before we placed him. Although there is a tradeoff.. he is secure and I can sleep at night (somewhat) I just want him to be able function as long as possible and laying down all day has bothered me much more than him. He is happy to just have his 'naps'..
Thanks....I can understand how doing those things with equipment and leaving the house would prompt you having to place him. My dh has only gone out once and got lost. I think it frightened him so much he is afraid to go any place without me.
He has become very calm and with all this sleeping very easy to care for. His speech and trying to carry on any type of conversation (except repeating the same things over and over) has really gone down hill. He always loved to eat out but now it is a drag for me because he can't carry on any type of conversation when we are out.