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 :wave:

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

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

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

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.

My dad has his body clock all messed up too. Has for a year or more. I'm thinking of taking the blinds out of his room and just keep thin curtains there. He keeps the blinds down all the time so it's impossible to know when it's day time and when it's night time.

Dad never had sleeping pills. He takes 13 different pills already. I don't want to add any more to it.

I took ambien for a while and would not do it again. It works great for some people but for me, it did not. Oh I slept well with it but it made me very groggy and I felt somewhat off balance in the morning.

What worked great for me is melatonin. I slept well and woke up feeling refreshed, not groggy. I tried 3mgs at first but that gave me very strange and vivid nightmares. 1mg was great! You can buy melatonin at WalMart or any pharmacy.

Love, Barb

I tried a simple herbal sleep remedy, valerian for a few days. BUT, I had to give it up. I found myself beng very irritable at school with the kids. Better sleep less and be jolly. I hope to catch up when I am out of this situation. YET, lately I find myself feeling very nostalgic for NY, Mom (as she once was) and my 'old' (present) life ..

I have to learn to look forward and not back ...

Love,

Martha

It's hard to say goodbye to loved ones, to your home, your job. Allow yourself some time to grieve. But don't allow yourself to stay in the grief. You need to be around your family in Indiana. Your grandchildren need to see their grandma often. You did all you could do for your mom. She is going to a very nice place with Bill and Anna. You can visit her and she can come to your apartment in Indiana.

I know you miss your mom as she was. I think of my dad as he was too. I wish there was something I could say that would ease your pain but there isn't. All I can say is I understand. I feel that pain too.

You know that you're not alone. We're all here for each other.

I've been on the healthboards for a long time. I started on the thyroid board. I never ended my posts like I do here until I got to know you all. That's because I've come to feel a very special bond with every one of you. The loving and caring nature of ours shines through here. You've become very special friends to me and I love each and every one of you.

Thank you all for being the special people you are.

Love, Barb