Expert: Michalene Peticca - 1/11/2007

Question
when a patient with alzhmers doesn;t go to sleep for hours what stage is this   is this common

Answer
Hello Carolyn,

Thank you for writing.

Insomnia is quite common for a person with Alzheimer's or another Dementia disorder.  It is due to the person's inabilitiy to conceptualize time anymore.  

Think about an infant....they have to Learn that when the sun is shining it means we are awake.  When it is dark, this is the time we sleep.   Children "learn" this behavior differently and hence, some children do not sleep much at night.

Therein, with an Alzheimer's individual, their brain has UNLEARNED this notion; therefore, it is only acceptable to sleep when they are tired.  It doesn't matter if the sun is shining or the sky is dark.  

The best way to help the sleep cycle is plenty of excercise during the day.  Walking, stretching, raking leaves, planting flowers, etc.    Give up the afternoon naps.

Most of these "time deficits" happen in the middle stages of Alzheimer's, but some may happen sooner; it is individualized based on the person's specific area of  brain deterioration.  

It has also been my experience that sleep aide medications such as Ambien, Lunesta, etc. are not effective because the actual part of the brain that controls sleep cycle may have deteriorated; therefore, the chemical has nothing to "adhere" to per se.  

This is a challenging time...but with a structured activity schedule, i think you'll find a better sleeping schedule.

Best of Luck!

Michalene Peticca, M.A.