Home Remedy to Help an Alzheimer's Patient Sleep

The fundamental inability to sleep at night is one of the more common characteristics of Alzheimer's disease. Also known as "sundowning," this syndrome is distinguished by an increase in confusion and disorientation that begins at dusk and continues until dawn. Sleep disorders associated with Alzheimer's can endanger the afflicted and exhaust caregivers. A good night's rest is essential for both of you. Try these tips to improve the odds of a full night's sleep.

Nighttime Routine

• Daytime events can have an enormous impact on the ability to sleep at night. To help an Alzheimer's patient rest in the evening hours, try to establish a consistent daytime routine. Establish a bedtime and stick to it. Then begin the wind-down with a bath about 2 hours before bed. Follow the bath with putting on pajamas and any evening grooming rituals. Listen to soft music for an hour or two and then have a snack, which may help prevent waking because of hunger. Follow this with a trip to the bathroom and dimming of the lights. Complete dark may not be possible as it may cause undue anxiety. Make sure the path to the bathroom is well lit, so the midnight walk to the toilet is less frightening. Let your loved one choose where they would like to sleep. Provide extra blankets if necessary, place any security items, such as stuffed toys or dolls nearby, and say good night.

Daytime Routine

• To help establish this end-of-the-day routine and ensure its success, take steps during the day to encourage nighttime sleeping. For example, actively discourage daytime napping. If it seems a nap is necessary, allow sleep for 30 minutes early in the day or immediately following lunch. Do not allow napping in the afternoon or evening. During the day make sure your loved one is exposed to adequate light. Change your bulbs to the full spectrum lights used by those with seasonal affective disorder, or if the weather is nice, get outside and walk for a while. Exposure to light can help reset the internal clocks that regulate sleep patterns. In bad weather, think of engaging indoor activities that promote exercise. The more active Alzheimer's patients are in the day, the more likely they are to rest at night.

Diet

• The daily diet of an Alzheimer's patient should be closely monitored and active steps should be taken to reduce or remove stimulants such as coffee, tea, soda and chocolate from every meal that occurs after 10 a.m. Additionally, afternoon and evening consumption of sugary snacks and alcohol should be limited to special occasions only. No drinks should be allowed after dinner, with one exception. An hour or so before bed, a glass of warm milk with a couple of cookies or a slice of toast can help to ease the transition from wakefulness into sleeping mode. Milk contains tryptophan, the chemical that regularly gets blamed for all the napping after Thanksgiving dinner. Cookies and toast are common comfort foods that are high in carbohydrates and low in protein; taken in conjunction with the milk, this type of snack acts as a mild sedative without all the harmful side effects.