Is it typical for people with dementia to sleep a lot during the day? (2024)

My mother in law is 72. With vascular dementia. She is middle stage we think as her daily routine is needing assistance, being bathed, sitting down, eating. We are learning by reading a lot as my father in law is her primary care giver. We have had an increase of her dosing off during the day and not sleeping at all through the night, not a wink. Does anyone have any suggestions to assist her with getting to sleep? We tried sleeping pills from the doctor but that did not work, we let her spend a little time in the sun every say. We changed her eating routine too see if that would help but so far nothing has helped. My poor father in law is exhaued during the day. We are looking into night nurse for home care but in South Africa can be pricey. Anyone with some tips for us to try I would be very grateful.

My mother has Alzheimer’s, is 91 and got worse after a fall and broken femur and pelvis. She’s in a nursing home but not in my state. She’s too bad to move at this point but my cousin and some friends assure me she’s well-cared for. I’m not well myself at 75 physyso I can’t visit much. How do the nurses and dr decide when it’s time for moving to a hospice?

My mother is 94 I feel so helpless she sleeps most of the day and knoting off constantly, I'd like to know if this is normal for dementia and how can I help her if needed

My Nana is 93, has dementia, not sure the stage.My 3 year old and I moved in last year into her house. She has lived along for 25 years since Papa passed. My uncle and aunt used to bring her groceries once a week.But since moving in she has become completely dependent on me.She is completely unmotivated to do anything. Turned incontinence nearly a few months after we moved in. She needs a walker and has been using one since I suggested it. but she won’t ever get up to use the bathroom or anything g on her own and has to be prompted to do anything. She is very hunchback.Still has a good appetite however says she is never hungry. I am so fortunate that she let us move in when we needed her help and I am so thankful it was just in time for her sake too.However I feel that by me taking care of her she lost independence and is totally reliant on me. Was just listening to a voice mail she left me from last year and it’s such a huge difference. She barely talks but one thing is she does reads my daughter books whenever we ask, even continues if we are not in the room anymore.It’s been difficult in the beginning to wrap my head around the disease. Any advice?Or stories of their memory getting better?I have palliative care and they did an assessment and memory test.

My mom is 91 years old. She has Dementia. Not sure the stage but probably at the mid-late stage. She started sleeping alot during the night (15 Hours) and during the day. I an only see her eyes open for few moments when I ask her to open her eyes. Otherwise she has them closed all the times. Whether that is active or inactive sleeping not sure. I am very concerned what I need to do and what is causing this. I know she has sleep apnea and she uses CPAP. Sometimes the CPAP leaks air and she probably not getting quality sleep. I am in process of getting a better mask for her. However, this situation of her sleeping all day has started recently and it concerns me. I appreciate any advise anyone has

My mum had oesophagus cancer in 2020 at the age of 83 she went through 7 weeks of radio and 6 rounds of chemo it was a very hard on her as she was also on a feeding tube for three months, my daughter and I moved in with her for three months and during her chemo she started having memory problems which at first we put down to the chemo, a few months later she was cancer free but was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's in 2021 she went from mild to moderate within a year and luckily she has myself and my sister that care for her so she can stay in her own home, but three years on she now has a problem when she eats so she is just on Ensure plus and drinks, we have had to stop her two dementia tablets because she chokes on them and just has her statin which is tiny and she still has problems, when she gets up in the morning at 8am she sits in her chair and sleeps until my sister comes for an hour and then she sleeps until she comes again at lunchtime, I go once a week as I live quite a distance and then I stay with her or she stays with me for a week every 6 weeks to give my sister a break and also give my mum a change, she is with me at present and she just seems so tired, she isn't getting up until 9.30am and then she goes back to bed at 11am for a couple of hours and then she gets up and goes back to sleep on the sofa or asks if it's okay if she can go back to bed, and in the evenings she goes to sleep around 8pm and sleeps right through the night without waking. At her home we have CCTV so we can make sure she is okay and also to observe her routine. But what does the sleeping mean, when she is home she literally sleeps all day, she loves the soap's and she watches those and then she knows it's time for bed when they finish, but having her with me I'm really worried with how much time she is sleeping in bed, it's something she has never done, she has never gone back to bed, she goes sleep in her chair all day at home but never in bed. Also the medication she was put on donepezil and mematine really did no good for her, they never slowed it down as she has been off them for about 6 weeks and when she is not sleeping her memory is better, when she was on them her memory was a 5 minute window, but at the moment she seems to be able what happened the day before and things that she didn't remember when on the tablets. She is a very happy person and her personality has stayed the same but her interests in everything she use to love has gone. It's such a sad disease.

My mum had oesophagus cancer in 2020 at the age of 83 she went through 7 weeks of radio and 6 rounds of chemo it was a very hard on her as she was also on a feeding tube for three months, my daughter and I moved in with her for three months and during her chemo she started having memory problems which at first we put down to the chemo, a few months later she was cancer free but was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's in 2021 she went from mild to moderate within a year and luckily she has myself and my sister that care for her so she can stay in her own home, but three years on she now has a problem when she eats so she is just on Ensure plus and drinks, we have had to stop her two dementia tablets because she chokes on them and just has her statin which is tiny and she still has problems, when she gets up in the morning at 8am she sits in her chair and sleeps until my sister comes for an hour and then she sleeps until she comes again at lunchtime, I go once a week as I live quite a distance and then I stay with her or she stays with me for a week every 6 weeks to give my sister a break and also give my mum a change, she is with me at present and she just seems so tired, she isn't getting up until 9.30am and then she goes back to bed at 11am for a couple of hours and then she gets up and goes back to sleep on the sofa or asks if it's okay if she can go back to bed, and in the evenings she goes to sleep around 8pm and sleeps right through the night without waking. At her home we have CCTV so we can make sure she is okay and also to observe her routine. But what does the sleeping mean, when she is home she literally sleeps all day, she loves the soap's and she watches those and then she knows it's time for bed when they finish, but having her with me I'm really worried with how much time she is sleeping in bed, it's something she has never done, she has never gone back to bed, she goes sleep in her chair all day at home but never in bed. Also the medication she was put on donepezil and mematine really did no good for her, they never slowed it down as she has been off them for about 6 weeks and when she is not sleeping her memory is better, when she was on them her memory was a 5 minute window, but at the moment she seems to be able what happened the day before and things that she didn't remember when on the tablets. She is a very happy person and her personality has stayed the same but her interests in everything she use to love has gone. It's such a sad disease.

My mom sleeps a lot day and night. And she eats less now. I'm worried she might develop bedsores. She has dementia but we haven't seen a doctor for diagnosis.

Hi, my mother was just diagnosed with moderate dementia and she does not sleep at night she's afraid to sleep at night I have occasionally spent the night. but I'm uncertain what to do to make her comfortable in her apartment, any suggestions?

My mom has been diagnosed with vascular dementia after a c.t scan was performed. She has to go in for a memory test. What I want to know is will the doctor tell us at what stage mom is at . Tia xx

The sleep patterns of my 96 year old dad, with short term memory issues, has changed. He seems to be sleeping later into the day - mid afternoon. He himself wonders why. He does live well independently with assistance. My siblings feel he should be wakened to eat something; however ive noticed that when he is wakened he is at times disoriented. My husband and i feel to let him sleep. Since he lives independently not sure when he goes to sleep. He will find food. And waking is not good for him. Problem not sure who is right?

My 89 year old Mam was diagnosed with Moderate Dementia in 2020 and is prone to Sundowning. She still lives at home with her husband and me, (the daughter) and was prescribed sedatives a year ago, which she takes without complaint at 6 - 7 pm, however they don't seem to help at all. She has no trouble walking and wants to go out for a walk everyday from 8pm even though we take her out early in the day, most days. My question is, do you think it's okay to give my Mam some herbal sleeping tablets to help her sleep? My Dad and I are getting very tired of her wanting to go on late night walks and need more sleep ourselves.

My wife is 75 has had 5 major heart attacks 3 strokes, a brain tumor over the third ventrical, had a large section of her stomach removedand is left with a stoma, has severe ryumitiod arthritis, in every joint, cardiovascular dementure, and alzhimers, and now sleeps up to 17 hours a day, does this mean she is starting to shut down

Hi my mum in care home but brought her for holiday at my seaside town Scarborough. Noticed the whole two weeks she slept all day and night and one day she jumped up said where we going today took her North Beach and South Side but she don't stay out long cause she grows tired easy . Few weeks before this we brought her for four days we took her sea life and town my daughter was here with 2 grandchildren. My Dad died Nov last year and mum took it bad . He got took care home just before he died few weeks with my mum cause house they lived was un habital for him to live there . So feel that seeing detoiration of my mum since she come back . Cause no one informs family about what's happening I'm so concerned if my mum health see in last stages of Dementia

My. Has. Early. On. Set. Dementia. It. Is. Early. Stage. Ramble. A. Lot. Going. To. The. Bathroom. A lot. She. Is. Getting. Confusion. A. Lot. About. Everything