Mom is 85 with dementia and she is currently taking 13 mg of Melatonin every night but only sleeps an hour or so, gets back up, and thinks it's morning again! She will get fully dressed and expect my dad to take her to Waffle House for breakfast plus she has tried to take her morning meds all over again but it's really night time. Help!! This cycle is killing my 86 year old father. I help as much as I can with her but I'm not there at night. He doesn't like to drive at night because he doesn't see well...
Try lavender lotions on her before see goes to sleep. Also, keep a bedtime routine.
Tell her that her husband will wake her when it is morning. She should wait for him before getting up. Also try a music alarm clock. Tell her when the music goes on, it is morning. If no music, stay in bed.
God bless
1. Melatonin should be taken in much smaller amounts than what is typically provided by manufacturers.
2. After a week or so it typically loses its effectiveness.
Here is an article I found that might assist. Perhaps a geriatric sleep psychologist could help?
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/melatonin-how-much-should-i-take-for-a-good-nights-rest/
Melatonin is a placebo, in my experience. ZZzzquil works, but makes her groggy the next morning which she doesn't like. If that were me, I'd TAKE the grogginess. She now takes 2 pain killers and Gabapentin before bedtime, falls asleep, and is up within a few hours asking for something else to knock her out. It's a pattern which seems to worsen with her dementia. She sleeps well for a couple days, then badly for the next few days. When her body is thoroughly exhausted, she sleeps well. Then she's up and miserable for the next few days. Her doctors have found that nothing works long term to keep her asleep and comfortable.
Dementia is horrible. Your father has to keep your mother awake as much as possible during the day, avoiding naps, and then not even entertain the thought of taking her out for breakfast in the middle of the night. He needs to contact her doctor to formulate a plan to deal with the situation, and see if there is a prescription medication she can be given to keep her asleep and turn her body clock around. Here is a useful link on this very subject from Alzheimers.org:
https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/stages-behaviors/sleep-issues-sundowning
Wishing you and your dad the best of luck dealing with such a stressful situation!
If you are not sleeping well, nothing else in your life can go well--good sleep is the basis of a good day and basic good health.
That first night of just that, I slept for 7 hrs and 45 min !!!! No leg cramps or restlessness. It only took about 10 to at most 15 minutes to make me sleepy. Having been on it for over 2 weeks now , the difference is incredible and sleeping for 8 hrs now. I am happier, more awake, lucid n more productive the next day. I’ll b 72 in a few months and have no qualms about taking the thc.
My need for a fulfilling sleep certainly supersedes whatever others poo poo about it. It works for me n even tho I am new to taking the tincture I will continue to do more research. I pray it becomes legal where I live. My dr. wanted to just keep me taking pills after pills $$$.
Im aware that situations w family, finances, people who have different needs etc. is paramount in finding what works. In my case , I was desperate and I found my life improve. I hope you find a viable solution. 🤗👍🙏
Of course it helps that I grow my own.
Try and play pink noise from youtube for her that lasts a couple of hours. That works great too.
Make sure she takes ferrous "gluconate" tabs..with breakfast. Not ferrous sulphate .which is commonly recommended...yet causes gut upsets & constipation.
Give the ferrous gluconate with breakfast all at one time. And a b12 that dissolves in the mouth after breakfast called 'sub lingual'.
Both the gluconate & b12 are OTC..and don't require a prescription.
There are no side effects as they are nutrients essential for life & health of the body. Not drugs
A little orange juice or any fresh fruits high in vitamin c with breakfast will greatly enhance the absorption of the iron. Its a very difficult mineral to absorb
Get them to have a little exercise each day. Walking is the best..even around the block a couple of times. If they are not able, stretches at home following a tv show or video of stretches for seniors would be very helpful
A tea of 1;1 catnip & chamomile 1tspn to 1 cup...or 1oz herb to 1pint water
Boil the water. Turn off. Add herbs. Let soak.
In a cup, drink as soon as preferred with honey. If you make 1 or 2 pints at a time. That is best. Let sit overnight in the pot. Strain & press out the juice from the herbs into a glass container with a lid. Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Drink 2 or 3 cups a day..not just at bedtime. Use distilled water only. This will provide 30% more nutritional value. Others may tell you distilled will draw essential minerals from the body. I assure you it does not. And can recommend reading in this regard if you would like
The tea has many benefits for digestion, skin, nerves, and of course deep sleep.
There are no side effects
Melatonin is a drug by definiton & disturbs REM sleep, which is essential to the health of the body. I recommend you stop this asap. Instead 3 valerian caps an hour before bed is healthy & does relax the body for deep sleep
The rhythm of activity & sleep are hard wired into the body. When this pattern is disturbed one can't 'just take xyz' & have it restored instantly. As some drug commercials would imply
It takes having a routine, persistence & patience. I highly encourage you to consider the lifestyle changes I mentioned, the supplements, exercise etc
I know how difficult taking care of an elderly loved one is. ..caring for my Grandfather has been so so demanding...I have learned so much in the process.
Your parents are lucky to have such a sincere caring person for a daughter
*Dump the melatonin.
*Neurological evaluation; when were her latest MRI + CT scans?
*Get her tested for basics: iron(Fe), D, NaCl (yes,salt levels).
*Hire a home health aide, STAT
*Remove all of the following from her bedroom;wi-fi, TV, fluorescent "nrg saving" lightbulbs
*Utilize a fan in the room, for background "white" noise.
*Install blackout window curtains/shades.
*Remove all "essential oils." NEVER, never, utilize any sort of "lavender" or other manufactured oils.
*Get her outside more during the day. let her walk barefoot in the grass, or wherever. Her generation wasn't forced to wear shoes when younger, barefoot walking physically "grounds" her, everyone needs that.
*Research DDI Direct drug interactions about every Rx OTC etc.
NO CBD
2nd thing try letting her listen to waves or nature sounds when trying to sleep. Talk to her to find out what she thinks is making her sleepless. Does she have to go to the bathroom too much? Did she eat too late? Does she want a snack?
Maybe your mom and Dad could slerp in separate rooms or at least separate beds.
Also, it's not a good idea to be on such a high dose of melatonin for a long period of time.
Try having your mom take a nice soak in a tub right before bed.
Maybe your mom needs it to be darker in her room.
Maybe her bed isn't comfortable.
Dr. Gave Gabapenten, made her so hyper & psychotic, trying to run away every day!
We got a bottle of Kava (herbal) pills 500mg, 2x/day. Stopped the Gabapenten. Now Mom is very calm and goes to bed by 9:30.
I feel your pain, sending hugs.
Its a down hill painful slide
With all due respect I offer the following..Kava can cause a little liver irritation if used consistently.
Sometimes is fine. However, its helpful to vary the herbs, and foods.
Teas are always helpful. Chamomile + Catnip is very helpful for restful long deep sleep
And Valerian caps. Additionally Magnesium Citrate 2.250mg before bed.
There's also magnesium fizzy powder called "Calm"
People seems to like the taste, the fizz & the effect.
Magnesium deficiency is very common in usa.
Make sure you have your dr check Mum's iron and b12. These deficiencies are very very common in the elderly. And these anemias interfere with sleep
Lastly, if you give herbs/supplements 6 days, rest sundays, then repeat you will get better results.
Your Mum is lucky to have such an intelligent aware daughter
This is huge - Things to do well before bedtime:
- Start turning lights off early well before bedtime - 1 hr or more
- Take showers 90 minutes before bedtime (showers can wake you up)
- Turn the volume of all noise DOWN an hour before bedtime
- Most people sleep better when it is a cooler environment. You can always add a blankie.
I hope and pray that solutions are found for anyone struggling with sleep loss. That is a very serious health problem. I believe what I do works, works for many, and it is largely common sense and tried and true. There is much more, but I digress (I do get in a good stretch usually before bed, as it relaxes muscles and even prevents pain).
6 cups of Epsom Salts in a big warm bath & soak for 20 mins is a winner. The magnesium relaxed nerves & muscles for sleep.
Listening to light soft classical music is helpful also I find.
Castor oil packs over the abdomen as described by Edgar Cayce (google his site) "the Sleeping Prophet" is as close to a miracle for insomnia as I have ever found after my work career in medicine..and now traditional medicine. And costs pennies. 2 American presidents consulted with Cayce in his day.
My fathers personality is very disruptive but now it’s completely manageable using those methods I mentioned. The doctor is even surprised . Dr Dale Bredesen takes the lead so far with his program ( The End of Alzheimer’s) which has many people applying it on their own . It’s recently been updated because it’s not a one single pill approach and he’s learning new things as more people report their experiences trying the protocols.
It’s very effective but if you are one person as caregiver , then the challenge is to steal a few hours to read the book or to make phone calls and find a practitioner who will do the blood tests. The key thing is a doctor that understands functional or root cause of illness.
We think an illness is only always a germ infection the person or genetic but it’s really just 3% genetics and the germs are our own body sending out microbes to fix cells that become sick. The result of cells getting repaired causes blood and lymph to an area and this causes inflammation. With Alzheimer’s type symptoms, there’s a certain type of protective inflammation and with heart issues that’s another type of inflammation. Same with a sprain or fall. The body will swell up at the site of injury because that area is damaged so blood brings repair cells to fix the body.
The same principle happens when you fix a leaky roof . That’s dr Bredesen analogy. Think of Alzheimer’s as a leaky roof with 30 holes to fix. As you plug or fix the holes, the leaking and damage becomes less and less until everything is dry and the roof is repaired. Same with cognitive issues. You start to see reversal or restoration of the person .
My most recent purchase is capsules with 1000 mg. calcium and 500 magnesium, plus 400 mg. Vitamin D , which helps with absorption. I only take 1 capsule and that is sufficient. I take with a little milk. Not enough to make me need to pee during the night.
If eating or drinking late, elevate the upper part of the bed and then lower it after an hour or two have passed. Or at the first night time toilet visit.
There are herbal teas for sleep. You can put a weighted blanket (they are designed to help you sleep) on her if it is not too hot or uncomfortable.
You can add some soothing noises for sleep in her room. A fan or the sound of ocean waves.
Side note - Some medications also effect sleep.