Is falling asleep a symptom of AD? My mother seems to fall asleep when ever she sits down and isn't doing anything. She also falls asleep throughout the movie I show her every night. She says she wants to see a movie but then sleeps through most of it. Is this just AD or is there something else going on I should worry about. It isn't anything new, she has done it for as long as I've been residing with her. She gets plenty of sleep (9PM-6:30am) most nights. She claims she wakes up once in a while but then goes right back to sleep. I know for sure she often thinks she is awake when she is asleep. If I say Mothe wake up she always says I wasn't asleep.

My Dad does a lot of "dozing". Short naps but many...That is not unusual for him.

I am not sure if she is sleeping all the time. If so, then I would mention it to the MD.

Marci

Kathy,,,my Mom does exactly the same thing! And when I tell her to wake up,,she tells me she is awake,,but resting her eyes,,,,,so it makes me wonder,if she's resting her eyes,,then why is her mouth wide open! My Mom is pretty lazy,,,used to being waited on all the time,,and she never has had any hobbies at all,,other than jumping in the car and going shopping. She does like to walk,,but its been cold and rainy here,,and I told her today,,no walking! Now she is mad and pouty. She had a big blow up about 10 days ago,,,lasted for about 6 days,,,

So I sat her down and let her know that she wasnt' going to ruin the holiday and she better knock it off,,which she did,,but I can see the most likely by tomarrow,,she will be primed to start her rantings again!

Sorry,,,just a tiny vent!

yeah "just resting my eyes" that is my mother's favorite answer. I notice she rests her eye with her head either down or at the side and her whole body falling over to the side. If she ever start snoring I'll record her.

Kathy...My MIL too. Before we realized how bad things had gotten in 2005 people would call her to check on her and not get an answer. Her stock answer then was that she was working out in the yard...Hmmmm.

Well as it turned out she was sleeping...and didn't hear the phone. She now sleeps every day from 1pm to 4pm and then has to be roused. She sleeps each night from 7 or so til 7am and if not awakened probably wouldn't get up then. Her best time is in the morning.

As she has moved into the later stages sleeping has become more noticable...but if denied sleep she becomes very aggitated. So I would say sleeping is common. But if the sleeping is more than normal I agree, I would speak to the Dr.

I wouldn't say it was more than usual but I'm new at this caregiving and to AD so I don't know what to expect or what is normal. (Normal-AD is that an oxymoron?) I knew for a couple of years that mother had problems with her memory but thought it was just normal forgetfulness like we all have from time to time. After a year or so I finally got her to go to a doctor and she was diagnosed. I've been trying to learn about this disease but I figure it is better to get the info from people who have been in the caregiving role compared to books.

we are watching a movie right now and I have to wake her up every 5 minutes or so. I could just let her sleep but then she gets upset that she missed the movie.

Kathy...You're so right about normal...someone here has said if you know one person with AD, you know one person with AD. There are similarities but each one is so different. And just about the time you think you have something in a pattern you can cope with, things will change.

If your Mom wants to watch the movie, by all means jostle her...and let her watch.

I remember the last movie my MIL enjoyed...Forrest Gump...would love to have that time back. That was 11 years ago.

My dad was falling asleep all the time also. He would fall asleep and then do things in his sleep like he would be talking to me and handing me things.

Once I walked into his room and he was sleeping and carrying on a conversation. I woke him and asked who he was talking to. His answer "I was talking to you."

Lord yes, sleeping is a "big" part of the Alz. I had my husband checked out medically from top to bottom. The doctor even asked him if he was "bored" is why he slept so much. Duh, my husband has never been "bored" in his life. So active, so into everything. There are just things going on in his brain that put him out most all day.
Most days he will sleep until 12 or 1 in the afternoon. Then he will want to go somewhere and we usually do. A trip to town, etc.
Then after supper, sleep again until bedtime, and then he sleeps really well at night. It's around 8:23 not and he is asleep. Even his little Jack Russell knows this isn't right and tries to wake him up.
Alz is a thief and it steals them away by sleep, and then it steals their memory when they are awake. He has been on Aricept for a little over two years now and I believe that it is beginning to lose its
effectiveness. It's back to what day is it again, what day is it, what day is it.
I have noticed that the Alz victim only asks questions. They never initiate conversation. For over two years all communication has been in the form of a question. Isn't that curious? Now see, I
am doing it myself! This is what hurts the caregivers brain so much. This constant jogging of the brain with questions and never a chance to have a normal conversation is a killer. Believe me. That is why I have to come back here over and over to get someone to talk to me, let me ask qustions. Is is so important for mental health.
So keep asking questions and getting feedback. You so much need that right now. Love, Sandra22

hello, I just wanted to say the real problems start when our LO is not able to sleep at night and refuses to take any naps during the day. mom is really worn out and needs to sleep. I told doc about this and we were trying pm tablets, but they are not helping at all. So if mom is up all night so am I. Just a little heads-up.
sandy

Well I am an insomniac, have been all my life so being up with mother won't be too different (or so it seems to my uneducated mind) then what my life is now.

Mom sleeps a lot; which is okay with me, it keeps her out of mischief. She says things like "I'm so tired, I can't get anything done!" and we're all heaving a sigh of relief that she didn't have the stamina today to rearrange all her drawers again. I rouse her and do things with her and try to wear her out with purposeful things, but her low energy level is a huge blessing to me.

Let me clarify that last... Mom does get into a pacing frenzy, and also she wanders and picks through my stuff in various rooms, picking things up saying "Oh, I've been looking for this!". I'm a bit disorganized, and have no place to put some of my things except out in sight, so she's finding lots of stuff she's "been looking for". She's been looking for my souveniers from trips abroad, apparently, and dog toys, and my son's martial arts mouthpiece.

Oh what I wouldn't give to have BF's Mom sleep a little more.. I know that sounds awful to some.. and I am sorry.. But it seems like nothing we try will get her to sleep (when she needs it especially). She gets so ugly and aggitaged by 2:30 everyday that we have to let her lay down, but the minute her head hits the pillow.. she lays in there a yells GET ME UP!!!!!! Never once sleeping. We get her up.. and immediately she wants to lay down because she is so sleepy. After 2 or 3 hours of going back and forth with that through out the afternoon and day, by dinner time (6:00 pm for her) I am just completely worn out, so I get her in her PJs and get her ready for bed.. I give her 6 mgs of Melatonin, .25 mg of Xanax and her Namenda (10 mg), she is finally quiet until about 8:00 pm then the yelling starts (again).. by 10:00 (and I am ready to call it a full day and go to bed, I give her another .25 mg of Xanax, works for about 2 hours and then the yelling starts again.. GET ME UP!!!!!! By 3:30 am I have had about all I can take (it doesn't matter what I tell her, she still yells to get up or HELP!!!!!)...

4:00 am another .25 mg of Xanax now she is so drugged up that you would think she would sleep or at least not care.. but NO.. 5:00 am the yelling starts again.. It's time to get up and get ready for BF to go to work and me to start my day.. by 6:00 I get tired of the yelling.. I go in and get her up.. Do you think she wants to get up (even though that is what she is saying.. heck no.. then after wrestling with her to actually get out of bed, get her dressed and breakfast (she is still feeling the effects of the medication so she can't physically function and is complete dead weight..

I set her in her chair to watch a little TV so I can get sheets washed and bathroom cleaned up after out wrestling match trying to get sponge bath and try to get some work done. Just to have her start wanting to go to bed. I have even let her nap in her chair just so I can get things done and she starts crying because we wont let her sleep!!!!!!!!!! What ever!!!!!!!!!!

We have tried every kind of sleep aid there is (even the nyquil and benydril trick), just so we can get her to sleep more than 10 minutes at a time.. To no avail..

The thing that really gets me is when she is in the hospital or other facility she sleeps all the time.. I wonder what they are giving her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They say nothing.. but how on earth do they do it???? I have asked for help on this matter or advice on this matter from several people.. and I thank you all.. Wish they had worked.. I am about at my witts end..

Now this morning she can't understand why I am being so cranky... after all i am the one that keeps her up all night..

O.K. done with my little rant.. Thanks for listening..

quote:

Originally posted by sandy 140:
hello, I just wanted to say the real problems start when our LO is not able to sleep at night and refuses to take any naps during the day. mom is really worn out and needs to sleep. I told doc about this and we were trying pm tablets, but they are not helping at all. So if mom is up all night so am I. Just a little heads-up.
sandy

Sandy.. going through the same thing with BF's Mom.. I feel your pain.. and frustration..

Oh, Gawd, Denise, what hell.

Earplugs. Put her in a safe situation and then use earplugs... either in your ears or her mouth, either one would work.

I mean, if nothing's working, and nothing makes her happy, and if she's not actually BLEEDING.... maybe just let her holler for a while?

quote:

Originally posted by Incurable romantic's girl:
Oh, Gawd, Denise, what hell.

Earplugs. Put her in a safe situation and then use earplugs... either in your ears or her mouth, either one would work.

I mean, if nothing's working, and nothing makes her happy, and if she's not actually BLEEDING.... maybe just let her holler for a while?

We have tried the just letting her yell, she only gets louder and louder if she thinks she is being ignored.. Believe me there have been a number of evil little thoughts that have crossed my mind in the wee hours of the morning and I haven't had more than 2 hours sleep for a couple of days.. (none of which I would ever do...) Gotta think about something while I am busy keeping BF's Mom awake all night.. Right??????

We try to make sure that there isn't anything really wrong and that she is safe..

It doesn't do any good to try to reason with her and tell her it's the middle of the night and that everyone is trying to sleep.. so that is just a waste of breath. Might shut her up for 10 minutes..

I have even told her (can't count how many times), that I don't care if she goes back to sleep but she isn't going to get up and that I wasn't coming back in there until time to get up.. but it doesn't seem to help either.

She has got to be exhausted.. but for the life of me I can't understand why she wont let herself sleep. We just don't know what the answer is.. We try the naps (as soon as she lays down.. she wont sleep) we try letting her nap in her chair (as soon as she realizes she dozed off, she starts the yelling again), well except when she figures out that it's BATH DAY and then she can't hold her eyes open..

Frustrating!!! and Exausting.. When we do get someone in to help us out.. (we try to get out and do things for just US at least 1 time a week) They always tell us that she slept the whole time.. they couldn't get her to wake up except to eat her meals (maybe).. but the minute we get home.. she wakes up and doesn't sleep.. There have been a couple of times I have told the person that watches her to keep her awake no matter what (that is their main job) and she was so hateful and mean to them that they refused to come back.. Needless to say we have stopped telling them to keep her up.. can't afford to keep loosing sitters.

Oh and then we have to hear how she doesn't want to be a burden to anyone.. what a laugh!!!!!!

The day to day stuff isn't a burden, and we are so glad that we can do what she can't do for herself any longer.. We love her and have seen what placing her in a facility does to her physically (it's not good) and had to get her out and bring her home.

But gee whiz we could sure use some rest... The reprise help we do get is because we need to have time for ourselves and not be totally consummed by this horrible disease..

Here is a little different perspective on the sleeping all of the time. My best friend's mother and MIL both had ALZ so I ask her lots of questions. The topic of sleeping has come up and here is her therory.

Since our LO is constantly trying to figure out their world around them, they exhaust themselves. During their waking hours, they have so much confusing information comming at them. Much of which is lost to short term memory loss. What few items that get through are then short circuted to the wrong area and hard to retrieve. They spend their time being overly allert to new input plus trying to retrieve stored info. After a little while of doing this, they need to rest.

Try to put yourself in their position. Think about a time when you were receiving lots of information at one time. Perhaps a first day in a new class. You are trying to listen to the instruction from the teacher, observing the classmates, judging their input, forming oppinions of what you hear from the classmates and teacher, taking notes, and analizing all of it at once.

In the analizing phase, you are going to your memory bank and pulling experiences of former classes, people you have known, your knowledge of the subject etc. When the LO goes to their memory bank to retrieve information they are not able to pull the correct information because some non related info comes up instead.

Another example would be making a phone call where you receive the dreaded recording of picking option 1, 2, or 3 to get to the correct department. Selecting the wrong one and starting all over again and again and again. After awhile, you give up and hang up. Our LO's do the same thing. They hang up, shut down and take a nap or they obsess on the idea and start trying everything to get to the right department.

As far as the not sleeping goes, have you ever asked yourself what a person with dementias' dreams are like? If they are anything like the daytime information input, even sleeping would be exhausting. This might be why they do not want to sleep.

I guess what I am saying is try to put yourself in your LO's frame of mind and see if you can come up with a solution that might work for a little while. If not, at least you can find a way to be more tollerable of the situation.

Excellent theory Vicki. Makes sense.

I repeat; Gawd, Denise, what a dreadful situation.
Dumb, dumb dumb question, I know, but- you've talked to her doctors about it?
(ducking)
I know it's a dumb question, but I'm shootin' blanks, here. What a miserable situation.
Have you tried gettin' her likkered up?
Long walks to wear her out?
Music? Music she likes? Music she hates? Books on tape? Interminable PBS documentaries? ANY kind of stimulation that might wear her mind out enough to make her drop off?

What a ghastly situation. And she sleeps for everyone else? Gawd.

quote:

Originally posted by Incurable romantic's girl:
I repeat; Gawd, Denise, what a dreadful situation.
Dumb, dumb dumb question, I know, but- you've talked to her doctors about it?
(ducking)
I know it's a dumb question, but I'm shootin' blanks, here. What a miserable situation.
Have you tried gettin' her likkered up?
Long walks to wear her out?
Music? Music she likes? Music she hates? Books on tape? Interminable PBS documentaries? ANY kind of stimulation that might wear her mind out enough to make her drop off?

What a ghastly situation. And she sleeps for everyone else? Gawd.

IRG, Yeppers I have talked to the PCP & everything he has given me.. drugs her up but she will only sleep about 2 hours (and of course it seems to be the 2 hours when I can't sleep) ha ha.. you can get out from under the edge of your desk now.. I am to tired to throw anything.. ha ha

Lately I have been pretty stingy with the booze bottle.. ha ha Oh was I suppose to be giving it to her??? My bad.. ha ha

She can not walk unassisted and even then only a couple of steps, Wears me out just thinking about trying to walk her around...

Even tried leaving the TV on for her at night (thinking she is waking up and scared..) then we have to listen to her yelling at the people in her room..

Have done the Mom thing (remembering back to the days when my daughter was small and wouldn't sleep).. warm milk.. ride in the car.. soft music, night lights, letting her yell in hopes she wears herself out.. all of which works 1 time and then she catches on, it's like she known that will make her sleep and so she wont let it happen..

Of course when there is someone else here watching her.. or I need to have her awake for some reason (bath day with the aide, visit from home health nurse), eat her meals or take her medication.. Oh and the all important Dr. visit to have her checked for not "freaking" sleeping for days.. man she can snooze for that one.. UGGGGGG

I know this is bad, but we actually hired someone to come in for 24 hours (paid them $350) We went down the street checked into a hotel just so we could get some sleep without getting woke up in the middle of the night..
Reports from the lady when we got back.. she slept day and night.. only time she got up or even talked was when it was meal times or time for medication.. she was quite the little angel... well until the next night (of course we were home that night).
grrrrrrr

Denise,
This may be an idea you thought of eons ago and already discarded, but would a sleep mask help her?

I know my mom wakes up with the earlier time change since it's lighter in the morning. I've been thinking of a sleep mask for her.

But she would probably just yank it off, right???

I like the idea of earplugs for you! You need some sleep!

Kat

quote:

Originally posted by Kat Burns:
Denise,
This may be an idea you thought of eons ago and already discarded, but would a sleep mask help her?

I know my mom wakes up with the earlier time change since it's lighter in the morning. I've been thinking of a sleep mask for her.

But she would probably just yank it off, right???

I like the idea of earplugs for you! You need some sleep!

Kat

Hi Kat
That was a very good idea, well in our minds anyway.. We tried it.. We went to great lengths to find a good mask (even a frilly one), thinking that she would be more inclined to use it if she thought it was like the "Movie Stars" wore.. made up this whole story about where we read that ZaZa Gabor wore one nightly (she is a fan of Green Acres, thank God for TVLAND) just like it.. she couldn't wait to go to bed that day so she could wear her new mask..

I was over joyed!!!!! Just knew we had lucked into something. Got her in her P.J.s after dinner. let her watch a little TV she was relaxed, time to go to bed.. put her mask on her once I helped her into bed..

Listened at the door every few minutes to see if she was sleeping.. not a peep.. BF and I wrapped up our day and decided it was time to go to bed.. (2 hours later).. not a sound coming from her room.. 10 minutes after we got to bed.. The yelling started.. now instead of yelling HELP!!!!, GET ME UP!!!!! or HURRY COME HERE!!!! it was OH NO I AM DEAD!!!!!! OH NO I AM DEAD!!!!!!

After a few minutes of letting her scream to the top of her lungs that she was dead.. mostly because we were laughing so hard, I couldn't go in there in that state..

It took me a couple of hours to calm her down and convience her that if she really were dead she couldn't make that announcement to us..

Think I buried the mask in a drawer someplace for fear it will set off a string of other problems now.. ha ha

I haven't tried the earplug because I am afraid that one time she might wake up and it really be something bad and I wont hear her.

We are checking into a medication evaluation (for her) and hopefully that Dr. will help us down the right road. We have noticed there have been some changes taking place in other areas besides the not sleeping, hopefully there is a break in sight.. for now we get the sleep that we can..

oh God, Denise... you could sell tickets.

Oh Denise , I hear you loud and clear!! I care for my grandma and she does NOT sleep. She does not live with me and I have a live in who works a fulltime job during the day (I didn't think she needed round the clock care) We have tried Lunesta, Restirol, PM tabs...etc The most sleep she ever gets from those is 2 or 3 hours...ugh! I used to be able to just let her wander from the bedroom to living room all night, but once she decided to go back to "the mainland" at 3am. I found out from the neighbors she called the police 2 times to find out what she should be doing, ha ha. The most recent issue was day of delirium due to absolutely no sleep. It was a CRAZY day, she was throwing dishes, arguing about where she is, etc. So, I call the doctor and ask for help with the physcotic episodes...need more help getting her to sleep. He calls in a prescription for Seroquel....terrible night of pain that night, I look it up yesterday and it says DO NOT GIVE TO PATIENTS W/ DEMENTIA....ugh!!! If you can't rely on his knowledge to help you through these issues, what do you do?

Just know that either I or Vivian(my partner in crime) are also being kept up by a LO who doesn't know what to do at 3am, 5am, or ever for that matter.

Christa

quote:

Originally posted by Gar'sCaregiver:
Oh Denise , I hear you loud and clear!! I care for my grandma and she does NOT sleep. She does not live with me and I have a live in who works a fulltime job during the day (I didn't think she needed round the clock care) We have tried Lunesta, Restirol, PM tabs...etc The most sleep she ever gets from those is 2 or 3 hours...ugh! I used to be able to just let her wander from the bedroom to living room all night, but once she decided to go back to "the mainland" at 3am. I found out from the neighbors she called the police 2 times to find out what she should be doing, ha ha. The most recent issue was day of delirium due to absolutely no sleep. It was a CRAZY day, she was throwing dishes, arguing about where she is, etc. So, I call the doctor and ask for help with the physcotic episodes...need more help getting her to sleep. He calls in a prescription for Seroquel....terrible night of pain that night, I look it up yesterday and it says DO NOT GIVE TO PATIENTS W/ DEMENTIA....ugh!!! If you can't rely on his knowledge to help you through these issues, what do you do?

Just know that either I or Vivian(my partner in crime) are also being kept up by a LO who doesn't know what to do at 3am, 5am, or ever for that matter.

Christa

Christa,
My BF's Mom's PCP admits that he doesn't really know that much about AD or Dementia (even though his Mom had it, she passed away before she got into the later stages), but he is willing to help us find solutions and he does as much research as possible and if he can't find the answers that we need he works feverishly to find us some one that can.

The thing with her not sleeping is a rather new development (within the past 6 months, BOY it seems longer than that). It has taken us completely by surprise because before she was the type to stay up until 9:30 or 10:00 every night and don't you dare even think about getting her up before 8:30 or 9:00 in the morning. Now by 2:30 in the afternoon all she can think about is going to bed..

We let her lay down and instantly she wants up. By 6:00 or 6:30 I am totally worn out from manic episodes (that even drugs wont calm) that I finally get her in bed.. She sleeps for a couple of hours and then up for the rest of the night.

Even when she is sleeping (or it appears that she is continuiosly talking, screaming, yelling or ranting).. it can't be good (restful sleep). It goes on ALL night long, regardless if we go in and tell her it's to early to get up.. or have even tried the Shut UP and Go Back to sleep approach (not talking to her.. just demanding and then leaving the room).. might work for 5 minutes..

We have an appointment with a Geriatric Pyschologist next week and she is going to do a medication evaluation to see if we have her on something that we need to change or get her off of. And to discuss what kinds of medications that we can get her on that might help her sleep (even 4 hours in a row would be wonderful). This Dr. specializes in AD and Dementia patients so we are hoping that we have some relief in sight. Not putting my P.J.s on yet.. but I have them out of the drawer.. ha ha

Good luck to you and your partner in crime.. If there isn't anyone with your Grandma during the day, she might be sleeping them.. just a little thought..