This is the 17th installment in the Critical Dementia Skills (CDS) series. For more information on the series, start HERE. You can also click on the CDS tags in the blog for more.
If you are living with dementia, how are you sleeping? If you are a care partner, how about you? Many of us experience sleep disturbances due to the dementia condition, as well as stress and anxiety of care partnering. Many care partners tell me about not sleeping well for fear that their spouse or parent is going to pace inside the home all night, elope outside of the home, go to the bathroom and leave faucets running all night, or make a big mess in the kitchen (every night). There may be hope in alleviating this challenge.
There are many sleep-aids, but are those safe and without side effects? Consider a non-pharmacological intervention. In 2003, Dr. McCurry and colleagues at the University of Washington studied the impact of their federally-funded Nitetime Insomnia Treatment and Education for Alzheimer’s Disease (NITE-AD) program. There are some relevant things that we can learn from the program and the study results.
In this randomized controlled trial, the NITE-AD sleep hygiene program was taught to the intervention arm of the study (as opposed to the control arm of the study) and included the following:
- Wake up around the same time each morning and go to bed around the same time each evening
- Avoid naps in the afternoon (after 1 pm)
- Switch from caffeinated drinks to decaffeinated
- Reduce the risk of having to get up to urinate (nocturia) by limiting fluids in the evening, using the bathroom on a regular schedule, using incontinence pads, and testing for a urinary tract infection if that is suspected
- Walking for at least 30 minutes during the day outside for exercise and sunlight
When reviewing the data results, the researchers found that it is possible to train caregivers to modify the sleeping habits of persons living with dementia (intervention group), but that minimal education alone (the control group) does not have the same impact. Having a professional to brainstorm solutions to issues and plan for success made a big difference when trying to stick with a routine.
While the above tenets of the program can help those reading this article, it does take a commitment to carry out the program at home. For example, it can be a challenge to keep a loved one or client busy the whole day to avoid an afternoon nap. Consider working with a professional towards better sleep for your loved one with dementia and yourself. Send me an email if you have questions about working with me to get a better night’s rest.
Questions for you to think, write down, and share in the comments section (any or all):
- If you have dementia and are having a challenge sleeping, what is happening?
- If you are a care partner and not sleeping, what is keeping you up?
- Have you told your doctor?
Thank you for reading this far and for commenting. Let’s tell hundreds more care partners about this concept by sharing the article. God bless you.
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