Expert: Paula Damgaard - 2/1/2010

Question
How can I get my husband (mid-late stage) to stay in bed at night and not wander around the house, and try to nap during the day ???
I try to keep him as active as I can.

Answer
Unfortunately this is a problem with this disease for some people.  Keeping him active is the best thing.  A 5min nap is enough to super charge him for a long while.  It is extremely hard to do this no doubt but very necessary to keep his sleep clock on the right time!  Also avoid any stimulants after 6 pm  Check with his doctor about any other medicines he is taking, sometimes they have stimulants in them and taking them at night won't help you.  If he is on Aricept try giving that in the morning to see if it helps.

Avoid at all costs over the counter sleeping aids like Tylenol PM.  They work the opposite of what you want with dementia patients.  If all else fails you can ask your doctor to order something for him to sleep.  One that we use that works fairly well is Trazadone, but we have the families do all of the above before and after we give the prescription.  

Keep your house lights up "like daytime" right up until it is time for him to go to sleep.  Otherwise he will get that groggy feeling and that sometimes is enough to allow him to charge up.

I hope this helps.  I know it is hard!  My mom did the same thing.  Paula