How to sleep well with Dementia

Often people living with dementia find it difficult to enjoy a good night’s sleep.  Not getting sufficient sleep will impact anybody, but for those living with a pre-existing condition, especially a cognitive one, the impact will be even more significant.  But, it is not just the person living with dementia that is affected, it will also damage the health and well-being of their carer.

We all know how important sleep is for our mental and physical well-being and we all appreciate how detrimental continuous poor sleep can be. But is there anything we can do to help people living with dementia sleep better?

In short, the answer is yes. There are things we can do to make things better and some or all of the following ideas may help your loved one. But do make sure you do speak to a health care professional if the problem does not go away because there may be something they need to help with.

Daytime

Being busy and keeping your mind and body active during the day can help immensely with getting to sleep at night. Activity, exercise, and stimulation throughout the day will pay dividends at bedtime.

1. Get some fresh air and sunlight morning and afternoon. One of the reasons that people struggle to sleep when living with dementia is the disruption of the body clock. It often causes people living with dementia to get day and night mixed up. Being outside, in the ‘real world’, enjoying outdoor light in the morning and early evening can really help to get the body clock back in sync.
2. Enjoy some light exercise. Make sure when you are out and about you enjoy some light exercise, what you do will depend on your mobility but do what you can. A walk in the park, some ‘armchair exercise’ sat on the garden chair, or some stretching in the garden. There is lots of advice online but speak to your doctor before starting anything new.
3. Naps are OK but have them early. It may not be a bad thing to have a quick nap, but the later in the day you have it the more likely it will impact sleeping at night. The golden rule is if you are going to nap do it before lunch!
4. Don’t drink too much caffeine. Just like everybody else, too much caffeine in the afternoon can interrupt sleep patterns. Make sure you don’t drink caffeinated drinks after 2 pm, or completely switch to a caffeine-free alternative.  There are lots of teas and coffees with no caffeine that taste the same as the original.
5. Drink plenty of fluids. Again, like everyone else, it is vital that people living with dementia drink plenty of fluids throughout the day (dehydration can cause more confusion and illnesses such as urinary tract infections).
6. Plan fluid intake earlier in the day. Try and drink most of your drinks in the day and early evening and have as little as possible in the last few hours before bed. This will reduce the number of trips to the bathroom overnight. Obviously, if a milky drink at bedtime is part of your routine you should continue with this.

Evening

A great night’s sleep often relies on the preparation just before bedtime, so make the most of this time. Just like everybody else, stress and worry keep people living with dementia awake at night. The calmer and more relaxed a person living with dementia is in the hours before going to bed the better chance they have of sleeping well.

1. Watch a favourite TV show or listen to relaxing music. Make sure it is positive, happy, and feel good rather than cutting edge drama that may upset or disturb you. The news can be a bit worrying with all the negative stories, so consider a favourite light-hearted comedy as an alternative.
2. Don’t talk about anything important.  Just before bed is the wrong time to talk about money, family worries, or anything else that may play on the mind. Instead focus on chatting about positive memories, a much-loved family member, or something else that will bring a smile.
3. Enjoy a soak in the tub. Just before bed is the perfect time to have a relaxing soak in the bath. A favourite relaxing bath oil or aromatherapy essential oil may aid sleep (lavender and chamomile are very considered highly relaxing by many people).
4. A gentle massage may help unwind. Sometimes a quick shoulder, hand, or foot massage may help as part of a pre-bed routine. Never forget how comforting the human touch can be, it can be extremely relaxing and soothing.

Bedtime

A good bedtime routine can make a massive difference in getting to sleep quickly and then staying asleep throughout the night.

1. Remember your old bedtime routine. Often when people receive a diagnosis of dementia, they stop doing what made them happy or what worked for them in the past. If there was something you have done previously that helped you get off to sleep, consider reintroducing it. Reading a book, listening to a radio play or drinking a cup of Horlicks? If it worked before, why not try it again.
2. Get the simple things right. Is it dark enough? Is it the right temperature? Is it quiet enough? Have you removed all distractions? If the answer to any of these questions is “no then” rectify it straight away.

During the night

If you follow all the previous tips, hopefully, you will be in the best possible position to have a great night’s sleep.

1. Try and get to the bottom of the sleep issues. Is there something specific that is causing the sleep disruption, if so try and find a way around the problem?
2. Make awake time as positive as possible. If following everything you have done, you still have periods of being awake try and make it a positive time. Read a book, listen to some music or something similar that will help you relax. Ultimately, this will help you get out of the wakefulness cycle, relax properly, and drop off again.
3. Stay safe at night. Lying awake at night can be frustrating and can sometimes increase the risk of injury for people living with dementia. Some things that can help include a monitor, a call bell, a pressure pad, or simply a stairgate.  If you do use a stairgate make sure it is an appropriate height, if it is too low it could increase the risk of a fall.

Speak to your Doctor

If none of the above work and you are still struggling, then go and see your GP and see if they can help.