Don't Lose Sleep Over This!
Dear Caregivers,
As a medical student I was trained to work long hours without sleep, and indeed, I have to admit there were times when it was a skill that I was glad to have. But that was a long time ago! And over the years my colleagues in the medical arena have begun to call an alarm about how the lack of sleep can seriously impact a person’s overall well-being.
Researchers are demonstrating that sleep plays a very important role in mental and physical health. Among other things, it:
Helps lower blood pressure, preventing heart disease
Regulates blood sugars and insulin, helping to prevent Type 2 diabetes
Promotes a healthy immune system
Improves mood, staving off anxiety, depression, and stress
Enhances cognitive function, including memory and attention
Cleanses the brain of toxins and waste products that accumulate during the day
As a caregiver for a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s, it may sometimes feel as though your day is as rigorous as a medical student in training! Your loved one's illness may impact their sleep habits, too, and therefore make it difficult for you to get restful sleep. As we always promote here at NAN Navigator, it’s crucial for you to optimize your self-care in addition to caring for your loved one, and that includes both of you adhering to good sleeping habits.
Keep a Steady Routine: Try to be consistent about the timing of going to sleep, waking up, and the scheduling of meals and other activities. This helps reinforce the body’s internal clock.
Adopt a Bedtime Ritual: Create a calming nightly routine, which might include listening to soothing music or a session of reading, as a way to signal the body that it’s time to prepare for sleep.
Get Physical: Exercising during the day, such as a walk, or gardening, will help make the body more restful at night. If you are pressed for time, keep in mind that even 10 minutes of exercise will help.
Create a “Sleeping” Environment: Use dark curtains or a sleep mask to block out bright lights, and try to limit noise as much as possible. Cooler room temperatures are optimal.
Monitor Stimulants and Medication: Keep stimulants like caffeine and alcohol to low levels, and work with your loved one’s health team to make sure their medications don’t disrupt sleep, making adjustments as necessary.
The average person spends about a third of their day sleeping — let’s make the most of it!
Here’s some more guidance on sleep:
Sleep Disturbance in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders:
People with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders often have problems with sleeping, or may experience changes in their sleep schedule. Scientists do not completely understand why these sleep disturbances occur, but as with changes in memory and behavior, the impact of disease on the brain can result in changes in sleep. Here's how to cope.
Sleep the Stress Away:
The quality of an individual’s sleep is strongly connected to their overall physical, cognitive, and emotional health, and lack of sleep is a leading complaint of caregivers. Here are some tips on how to get some quality sleep.
Sundowning and How To Manage It:
Sundowning is a state of increased agitation, activity and negative behaviors which happen late in the day through the evening hours. When sundowning, the person may become demanding, suspicious, upset, or disoriented, see or hear things that are not there, and believe things that are not true. They may pace or wander around the house while others are sleeping. Here are some tips for potentially reducing the occurrence of sundowning and softening its effects when it does happen.
Remember, if you can’t find the information you need on our website, you can always “Ask NAN” by clicking on this link.
Best,
Rosemary D Laird, MD, MHSA
Founder and Chief Medical Officer
“Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.”
— Thomas Dekker
