The Body Keeps the Time!
Dear Caregivers,
You can’t hear it go “tick tock,” but scientists have found that your body has its own internal clock. Based on internal rhythms of light, hormones, and eating, your body is pretty good at settling into a roughly 24-hour cycle of wakefulness and sleep, even without clocks.
It’s a nice feature of nature, but at this time of year it collides with the practice of most of the world setting their clocks forward one hour for Daylight Savings, which occurs this coming Sunday morning.
Making our clocks “spring forward” means that we have more daylight later in the evening, but for some people it wreaks havoc with their mood, appetite, and sleeping. This is even more true of someone suffering from Alzheimer’s, who may no longer be able to understand the concept of daylight savings and the changes it brings.
Daylight savings has been linked to increased automobile and workplace accidents, and health issues such as an uptick in heart attacks and strokes for several days after the time change.
The good news is that, eventually, a person’s circadian rhythms adjust to the new time change. Ways to help ease the transition for you and your loved one include moving up your routines, such as eating meals and going to bed a little earlier, a few days prior to the change. It also helps to get a dose of morning light, as your body uses that to set its clock.
Here’s some more information on how to cope with sleep and time:
Time Management for Caregivers:
While there isn’t a way to create more time in the day, there are methods that can help you get the most out of every minute. Here are some strategies to help manage time effectively and free up time for yourself.
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.
Sleep Disturbance in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders:
People with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD) 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.
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
“Time is an illusion.”
— Albert Einstein
