Sleep Is Essential
Did you know that sleep is essential to our health and wellbeing? Sleep supports our brains to grow new brain cells – neurons. Since Alzheimer’s disease is known to degenerate a person’s brain cells which affects brain functions. We want to ensure we continue to build up what’s known as cognitive reserve (more brain cells!)
Without sleep our brains can’t function. Go without days of sleep and the resulting experience is similar to being on drugs. You experience hallucination, paranoia, blurred vision, slurred speech, lapses in memory and an inability to concentrate. This can happen to anyone, but those with dementia this is more heightened.
How To Get A Better Night’s Sleep
So, what can we do to help our loved ones get a better night sleep? Here are a few tips:
- Avoid caffeine, sugar and alcohol in the late afternoon. These products that stimulate or depress (alcohol is a depressant) stay in your system for hours. Stimulants will not allow a person to fall asleep, and depressants will not allow your nervous system to shut down for a rest.
- Avoid too many liquids in the evening as that may process during the night and they will wake to use the bathroom in the middle of the night.
- Encourage them to use the bathroom before bed, even if they don’t feel they have to go then – they just might.
- Make sure they eat enough at dinnertime or a healthy snack a few hours before bed because a hungry stomach will keep them awake.
- Keep your loved one on a routine and don’t allow them to go to bed earlier or later than their designated time – our bodies become accustomed to a sleep and wake time and can’t deal with a change easily.
- Don’t allow TV watching in the bedroom, as then there’s a social association with the bedroom. As well, sleeping in front of the TV’s light will not allow the body to fully immerse in sleep.
- If they can’t fall asleep on their own, try reading them a chapter of a book or rub their back or hand until they fall asleep – these are soothing and comforting acts that make them feel safe and ready to fall asleep.
- Ensure your loved one is getting enough exercise during the day. A brisk walk just before or just after supper has been known to be helpful. If walking is not possible then perhaps they could follow you in doing some chair exercises to their ability. (Insert lots of giggles and smiles when doing this!)
We welcome your comments on what you do to help your loved one with dementia fall asleep.
Karen 🙂
Karen Tyrell, CDP, CPCA
Personalized Dementia Solutions
