Experts have warned that the change may indicate something more serious
An Alzheimer’s charity has warned people that a change in their sleep could signal that they – or someone they know – could have dementia. People who have this condition often experience “physical changes in their brain” and as a result, sleep can be impacted.
While we all struggle to sleep every now and again, if there’s no real cause for your sleeping habits to change, you may want to seek further help from your doctor. According to experts at Alzheimer’s Society, “a person with dementia may have problems with sleeping at night, and may sleep more during the day.
“They may find it difficult to get to sleep or they may wake up in the night” meaning they never feel fully rested. They stress that poor sleep can make the symptoms of dementia worse, meaning a lack of sleep can make it even harder to cope with what a person is going through.
The experts add that a person living with dementia requires regular, quality sleep to support their overall well-being. In fact, most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night.
A good sleep can:
- improve mood
- enhance mental clarity
- support a strong immune system
- help reduce the risk of falls and accidents
- lower physical stress on the body
Explaining why people with dementia may see a change in their sleeping habits, they say that “the body clock of a person with dementia may become damaged, making it harder for them to feel awake and alert during the day”. This is why they may also feel sleepy during the evening too.
Melatonin, the sleeping hormone, can even be impacted by damage to the person’s internal body clock, causing the hormone levels to rise at the wrong time. Exposure to bright light during the day – especially in the morning – and dimmer lighting in the evening can help support a more regular sleep-wake cycle.
Urging people to seek help from their GP if their sleeping has been impacted – whether suddenly or by diagnosed dementia – the Alzheimer’s Society explains: “Sleeping well can be difficult for a person aged over 55, as the parts of the brain that control sleep may not work as well An older person is likely to go to sleep earlier and may have difficulty sleeping through the night as much as they used to.”
What are the signs and symptoms of dementia?
Different types of dementia can affect people differently, and everyone will experience symptoms in their own way. However, there are some common early symptoms that may appear some time before a diagnosis of dementia, reports the NHS.
These symptoms include:
- memory loss
- difficulty concentrating
- finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping
- struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
- being confused about time and place
- mood changes
The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include:
- memory problems, such as regularly forgetting recent events, names and faces
- asking questions repetitively
- increasing difficulties with tasks and activities that require organisation and planning
- becoming confused in unfamiliar environments
- difficulty finding the right words
- difficulty with numbers and/or handling money in shops
- becoming more withdrawn or anxious
