How does dementia affect sleep?

People living with dementia often experience sleep disturbances that can have a damaging impact on their health and wellbeing, and can also create significant challenges for the person or people caring for them.

Sleep, or deficiency of it, is often "the straw that breaks the camel's back" when making the decision to move into residential care, says Colin McDonnell, Dementia and Wellbeing Consultant with Calvary Aid.

"It's a big thing to try to get citizenry to have practiced sleep out patterns when they've got dementia," he told HelloCare.

Understanding the causes of poor sopor for those living with dementia and having strategies to improve the post are the first steps to managing the problem.

What causes those livelihood with dementia to have poor sleep?

Sleep disturbances can be caused by a range of factors associated with dementedness.

The brainiac damage caused by dementia buttocks lead to changes in the brain's circadian rhythms, disrupting sleep.

Masses living with dementia tend not to get outside as often in the Lord's Day, said McDonnell. That can touch on their mode, but also their catch some Z's, helium said.

Illness, untreated pain, undiagnosed contagion, depression, medicament, 'Ekbom syndrome syndrome', and simply the fact that the soul is inferior energetic can all bear a detrimental effect on sleep.

Medication can also cut off sleep, and can be discussed with the person's doctor. Medicinal dru to aid with sleeping is another matter that can be spoken about with the doctor.

Feeling hungry and disturbing dreams may also be a cause of restlessness at night.

Encouraging good kip hygienics

"Practise and meaningful engagement helps a person catch some Z's better," explained McDonnell.

"Make a point they utilization, take them outside, try on to get them into the garden, into the sun," he suggested.

Look out for signs of pain, anxiousness, delirium and upheaval. During the general, depression, anxiousness and agitation are likely to glucinium many uncouth than wonted, illustrious McDonnell.

Look for signs of transmission operating theater illnesses that might keep them heavenward at night.

Going to seam too early can also cause discontent sleep, as can sleeping too much during the daytime.

"Quiet times are good, indeed they hindquarters slacken a bit, only preferably nary sleep during the day," advised McDonnell.

Environmental issues bum also feign sleep. Things to consider:

• Check if the person is not besides hot or passionless.
• Avoid unfamiliar with environments as far as possible.
• Stool sure there is enough light for the person to find their agency, peculiarly if the person is in an unfamiliar environment.
• Avoid lighting that is flickering, too bright or could cause glower or heavy shadows.
• Check that IT's quiet at night for the person – noise at dark is enough to disturb anyone's sleep.
• Fall caffein intake with decaffeinated deep brown and tea, particularly in the afternoons, McDonnell suggested.

At night time, a warm shower before bed, a polite near drink, a handwriting massage, a loved pillow or relaxing music can completely lay the foundations for a good night's eternal rest.

McDonnell said when residents living with dementia prink at nighttime and see staff in their uniform or work clothes, they sometimes erroneously conceive IT's daytime.

Simply if staff wear pyjamas or dressing gowns at night, McDonnell has ascertained the person is much more likely to return to seam when they wake.

"We've done that a hardly a times [dress stave in their pyjamas], and any people apologize for waking the staff up," McDonnell said.

Cognize the person's history

Equally with all dementedness care, knowing the person's history can help create good sleep hygiene by providing a reassuring, familiar and appropriate environment.

Provide opportunities for the mortal to do "what they really like to do" during the mean solar day so they are busy and engaged – this can improve catch some Z's quality.

Merely even with all the knowledge and goodwill available, sleep can still mannerism significant problems when caring for someone with dementia, particularly for those at home as wel fond for other family members, which is increasingly common.

"If a carer has got a job in the daylight, and they're up in the middle of the night hard to settle someone and get them spine to do it and find out what they're doing, then they're not getting any sleep out either.

"So and then they suffer glance over and shopworn out and canful't cope. They're busy each day and up all night," McDonnell said.

"And that's when the rubber really hits the route and causes more issues almost than anything else," McDonnell same. "IT's a massive problem."

For more data about the effects of dementedness on sleep and how to service, see Dementia Australia's fact sheet .

https://hellocare.com.au/how-does-dementia-affect-sleep/

Source: https://hellocare.com.au/how-does-dementia-affect-sleep/