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Keep sleep patterns consistent

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By GARY JOSEPH LeBLANC

Common Sense Caregiving

Published: July 2, 2009

Being caregiver of an Alzheimer's patient, there will be nights when your loved one just won't turn in for bed early enough. Soon exhaustion has overwhelmed you. You're afraid to close your eyes because you just never know what could happen next.

People afflicted with Alzheimer's disease sometimes get their sleep patterns turned upside down.

Caregivers can run into a dilemma when patients start sleeping later in the day. You don't want to wake them because it's probably the only peace and quiet you'll have all day; but the longer they sleep, the longer your day will last. Open the curtains so sunlight enters their room. This will help regulate their circadian cycle, also known as the biological clock. Sunshine plays a big factor in depression which could be playing a major role in their sleep pattern.

I've stressed how important it is to keep a routine lifestyle with Alzheimer's patients. Well, this also falls true for their sleeping habits. Try to have their bedtime relatively the same every night.

Talk to their physician. Medications might help the situation. A few years ago I asked my dad's doctor to prescribe something to help him sleep. He was then getting in the habit of staying awake till 1 to 2 a.m. and it was just about killing me. The problem with the pills was his balance got dangerously unsteady. I feared he'd fall during a nightly trip to the bathroom, so no more pills after the first week. You have to weigh the good and the bad. Every patient reacts differently and that which worked yesterday and today might not work tomorrow.

Common sense tells you to avoid caffeine after morning hours. Well, many senior citizens are in the habit of enjoying a cup of coffee or tea after their evening dinner. This is where you need to switch to decafe. They don't have to know.

It's important the caregiver gets their share of rest. If you start your day already worn-out it will be a no-win situation. Call someone to sit with them for a couple of hours so you can take a nap, it's that important.

Best advice — keep them in a routine. Activity during the day, whether physical or mental, will help them sleep through the night. If they're wide awake during the middle of the night, this could lead to wandering. Not good.

In my father's case one of the reasons he doesn't want to go to bed is because of the anxiety and nervousness of being alone. You might want to try sitting with them until they fall asleep. Unfortunately, once you start this you might not be able to stop.

The main thing is that the caregiver finds a way to have enough rest. Everything depends on it.

Gary Joseph Le Blanc is the primary caregiver of his father who has been stricken with Alzheimer's disease for more than 8 years. He can be written c/o Hernando Today at 15299 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34613 or e-mailed at us41books@bellsouth.net.

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