What is Sundowning?

Late afternoon and early evening can be difficult for some people with dementia and their caregivers. They sometimes experience “sundowning” which is, generally, late day confusion. In addition, your loved one may experience restlessness, agitation, or irritability, that can begin or worsen as daylight begins to fade—often just when tired caregivers need a break the most. My husband Bob, sometimes struggled with all of these behaviors.

In my book, Caregiver Confidential, I tell of my frustrations with Bob’s sundowning which occurred both early evening and then sometimes reappeared during the night. How did I know that? I would hear him in the kitchen and then push myself out of bed and head for the kitchen to make sure he had not opened the French door out to the deck. I frequently found him standing in the kitchen eating bananas. When I asked him what was going on, he wouldn’t answer me as he continued to chew. I learned to wait until he had finished, then I would gently lead him back to his bedroom and help him into bed.

A Caregiver Can Sometimes Help

Since my book is not a “how-to” I like to share some caregiving tips here from time to time. First, there is no cure for sundowning, but there are some things caregivers can do that may help the situation.

• Beware of naps! Bob always took a nap after he went to the daycare center. However, he liked exercise and rode a stationary bike every day at the center. He was ready for bed by early evening.
• Routine is very important for people struggling with dementia. I always made sure that Bob went to bed on time. I wouldn’t wait for him to say he wanted to go to bed. Instead, I guided him in that direction at the same time every night.
• Providing low light in the bedroom can offset some of the effects on no sunlight. I always turned on a small lamp by his bedside as he crawled into bed. It was a lamp from his childhood and seemed to comfort him. I also turned on a nightlight in the adjoining bathroom.
• If your loved one likes to be read to, it might be soothing to read a favorite story or poems aloud, checking first to see if that sounds pleasing to them. I never thought to do this with Bob, but I know he loved the poems of Thich Nhat Hanh and I wish that I had tried that.
• Music can also be soothing to a troubled mind. I put on the same Mozart CD every night after Bob was in bed. He loved Mozart and the familiarity of those pieces  was calming to him.
• While it may be tempting to watch a movie once you have your loved one in bed, better to head to bed yourself with either music or a book in order to get as much sleep as you can in preparation for the next day.

Caregiver Resources

Websites that may be of interest in increasing your understanding of sundowning:

National Institute on Aging: Alzheimer’s Caregiving: nia.nih.gov alzheimer’s disease

Mayo Clinic Newsletter on Alzheimer’s: newslettersignup.mayoclinic.com

Where to buy my book: Amazon, Nook, Apple Books and your independent book store.