MIL not sleeping at night - Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Message Board

gypsycarol · 04-22-2005, 10:51 AM

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem. My MIL is up practically all night from 6PM til about 6AM. Then she cat naps all day (I have a baby monitor and can hear her throughout the night). Sometimes she gets up earlier and sometimes she sleeps all day. I have asked her to try to get up during the day so she will sleep at night to no avail. She can be awake as much as 30 hours b4 crashing and then sleep 8 hours and be up another 24. She has demaentia along with 2 types of cancer and is in hospice care at our home. It just boogles my mind that a terminally ill patient can be up for soooo long!

I'd appreciate if anyone else can answer me if they have experienced this phenom.

Thanks,
Carol

Martha H · 04-22-2005, 01:35 PM

My Mom does not sleep all day and stay up all night, BUT she sleeps or dozes during the day and the night, and wakes up at night to wander around the house and 'sort things out' 'throw things out' remove or hide her money, etc. It is causing ME chronic insomnia .because I have one ear on her room right attached to mine and open .. listening for the sounds of any activity other than sleep...

I wish I had a solution. I hate to put her on sleeping pills on top of the 6 drugs she's already taking. I am just going to try to tough it out until she goes to live with my brother and sister in law in only SEVEN weeks ... and two days....

Love,

Martha

gypsycarol · 04-22-2005, 01:51 PM

Thanks Martha. I tried giving her ambian (sleeping pill) which hospice ordered for her. Never again. She got up that night and must have fallen. I have no idea how my husband or I never heard her since we have a monitor in our room. She has a large bruise on her head, knee and upper thigh. So much for sleeping pills!!! I just don't understand how she can stay awake so long. Up all night when we are in bed and down all day when we are awake and could keep her company. Maybe this is a way for her to get some privacy? As I stated b4 we have a very small home and she sleeps in our dinning area.

I only know I can't stay awake that long.

Thanks,
Carol

BarbaraH · 04-22-2005, 02:02 PM

Hi Carol,

Sorry your mother had a bad experience with Ambian. When my little Mom was in her up all night stage, her doctor gave her a very mild sleeping pill and that fixed her up. She slept all night and took one afternoon nap in the daytime.

Maybe a milder sleeping pill would help her sleep all night.

Wishing you well - Barbara

SiestaDrew · 04-26-2005, 12:19 PM

Carol, please try the ambien again, it has been an absolute life saver for me, my husband too is excuse the language *** backword with his sleeping, but the ambien works, I give it to him around 10pm or sooner and at least he sleeps til like 5 or 6am.And it gives me a bit of peace of mind. I too resisted using it in the beginning but now it is almost every nite, you need to sleep girl.