Many older adults have problems sleeping, but people with dementia often have an even harder time. Sleep disturbance may affect up to 25% of people with mild to moderate dementia and 50% of people with severe dementia. Sleep disturbances tend to get worse as dementia progresses in severity.
Leading experts believe that as dementia changes brain cells, it also affects a person's circadian rhythms. When circadian rhythms get disrupted, the individual often confuses morning and evening. These changes lead dementia individuals to become tired during the day, take many naps, and then stay up during the night.
It is quite common for a person with dementia, especially in the later stages, to spend a lot of their time sleeping – both during the day and night. This can sometimes be distressing for the person's family and friends, as they may worry that something is wrong.
“It is possible that people with early stages of dementia experience earlier brain fatigue in the day, leading them to want to sleep earlier,” he said. “'Sundowning' is a well-known effect in older people prone to dementia, where they can become confused and disoriented in the evenings.”
An upset in the "internal body clock," causing a biological mix-up between day and night. Reduced lighting can increase shadows and may cause the person living with the disease to misinterpret what they see and, subsequently, become more agitated.
Late afternoon and early evening can be difficult for some people with Alzheimer's disease. They may experience sundowning—restlessness, agitation, irritability, or confusion that can begin or worsen as daylight begins to fade—often just when tired caregivers need a break.
One of the most common causes of death for people with dementia is pneumonia caused by an infection. A person in the later stages of dementia may have symptoms that suggest that they are close to death, but can sometimes live with these symptoms for many months.
People with dementia think about the same things that any human thinks about — emotions, relationships, daily life, tasks to accomplish, and more. Receiving a life-changing diagnosis of dementia does not strip a person of their humanity and personhood.
On average, a person with Alzheimer's lives four to eight years after diagnosis, but can live as long as 20 years, depending on other factors. Changes in the brain related to Alzheimer's begin years before any signs of the disease.
There are many different types of dementia and all of them are progressive. This means symptoms may be relatively mild at first but they get worse with time, usually over several years. These include problems with memory, thinking, problem-solving or language, and often changes in emotions, perception or behaviour.
Getting 9 Hours of Sleep Per Night May Indicate Risk of Dementia. Researchers say getting more than 9 hours of sleep a night could indicate a higher risk of dementia. Researchers studied more than 5,000 Latino adults and concluded that too much sleep was linked to a decrease in memory and episodic learning.
However, research shows that dementia patients may sleep for anywhere from 13 to 15 hours in a 24-hour timeframe. Although nearly half of older adults have experienced difficulty sleeping, sleep disorders affect up to 80% of dementia patients.
Individuals with dementia may experience memory difficulties, issues with their ability to think, and trouble completing daily tasks. They may be aware of their symptoms in the early stages of dementia. However, a person may lose this awareness by the late stages of dementia.
Many older adults have problems sleeping, but people with dementia often have an even harder time. Sleep disturbance may affect up to 25% of people with mild to moderate dementia and 50% of people with severe dementia. Sleep disturbances tend to get worse as dementia progresses in severity.
Depression and apathy are particularly common. Delusions and hallucinations (especially of sight and hearing) are most common in the late stage of dementia.
A 2019 study published in Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, showed among 165 participants (45 with diagnosed neurodegenerative disease, 120 controls) a supine sleep position (on back, head at body level) for more than 2 hours per night increased the risk of dementia by almost four times (3.7 times greater).
increasing confusion or poor judgment. greater memory loss, including a loss of events in the more distant past. needing assistance with tasks, such as getting dressed, bathing, and grooming. significant personality and behavior changes, often caused by agitation and unfounded suspicion.
Stage 6. In stage 6 of dementia, a person may start forgetting the names of close loved ones and have little memory of recent events. Communication is severely disabled and delusions, compulsions, anxiety, and agitation may occur.
Many people affected by dementia are concerned that they may inherit or pass on dementia. The majority of dementia is not inherited by children and grandchildren. In rarer types of dementia there may be a strong genetic link, but these are only a tiny proportion of overall cases of dementia.
People with dementia can still have nice feelings too. They can feel happy, safe and calm. Some people with dementia may seem like their usual self a lot of the time and you may only notice small changes every now and then. Some people with dementia may not have as many good days.
Restlessness and fidgeting
People with dementia often develop restless behaviours, such as pacing up and down, wandering out of the home and agitated fidgeting. This phase does not usually last for long. Try to: make sure the person has plenty to eat and drink.
Often when a person with dementia asks to go home it refers to the sense of home rather than home itself. 'Home' may represent memories of a time or place that was comfortable and secure and where they felt relaxed and happier. It could also be an indefinable place that may not physically exist.
Late-Stage Dementia
This stage is also called end-stage dementia or advanced dementia. In this stage, their symptoms become severe. A person will have problems with everyday functions. These include bathing, dressing, eating, and going to the bathroom.
People with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia have markedly decreased life expectancies. They are two to four times more likely to die than someone of the same age who does not have dementia. Various earlier reports have shown wide variation in expected survival after a diagnosis of dementia.