Why dementia affects your sleep
These sleep disturbances happen because of changes in your brain. Some of the reasons for this include:
Your body doesn’t recognise cues, such as the change in light that tells us it’s time to relax, settle down and go to sleep, resulting in your body clock becoming disrupted.
Your sleep quality changes – this happens to everyone as we age, but the cycle of moving between light and deep sleep and vice versa switches up more dramatically in those living with dementia and you spend less time in the deeper type of sleep.
Medication – some types of medication can affect sleep.
Activity levels – if you’re sitting at home a lot, you might find going to sleep tricky.
Restless legs syndrome is common in people living with certain types of dementia. Your legs become twitchy, achy or tingly when you’re tired, making it difficult to settle down. Other health conditions can also cause this.
Daytime napping. Some people find they are exhausted during the day and find need frequent naps during the day which means they are not tired enough to go to sleep at night.
As some dementia progresses it’s common to experience sundowning – which is a confusion around the change from day to night and can lead to distressed behaviour around bedtime.
How to improve your sleep
Lack of sleep – or disturbed sleep – can make your dementia symptoms worse and affect your mood and overall sense of wellbeing. But the good news is that there are things you can do to help improve your sleep, such as:
Try to limit daytime naps so you’re tired at night
Avoid tea, coffee (any caffeine), alcohol and nicotine
Talk to your GP about any medications you’re on and they’re possible effects on sleep
Be sociable. Talk to others – get out and about and socialise
Get active – it’s best to exercise earlier in the day if you want better sleep at night
Make your bedroom as quiet, comfortable and dark as possible
Check in with yourself – are you in pain or discomfort? Talk to a loved one about getting any niggles checked out by a doctor if you think they’re bothering you at night
Keep to a routine. Try to go to bed and wake at the same time every day
Avoid watching TV or looking at devices before bedtime
Head outside in the morning – natural light earlier in the day can help your body to recognise that it’s daytime and not time to nap. If that’s not possible, make sure your lights indoors are bright during the day