Sleeps 24/7, still eats well, no cognitive decline

Linda_Miami

Hi everyone.  Happy New Year.

For the past 2 weeks my mom has been sleeping all day and all night.  She is only awake to eat and get up to go to the bathroom.  I have spoken to both her general doctor and her neurologist and neither seem to have answers as to why she is sleeping so much.  She had all kinds of bloodwork and brain ct scan and everything came out fine, except for very mild hypothyroidism.  She has been put on low dose Synthroid.

She is still able to walk, eat, feed herself, talk and respond to simple commands.  She is not dehydrated, does not have a UTI and there has been no decrease in her cognition.  She is not on many medications and the doctors have ruled out that the medications she does take would suddenly cause sleepiness.  Our house is like a circus so I doubt she is bored.

Has anyone experienced this with their LO?  It doesnt seem like she is in the active dying stage.  But is there a stage before that?

My mom is 82 and probably stage 5-6.

This is so hard for me to watch.

harshedbuzz

Linda-

Is your mom in bed sleeping or is she "napping" in a chair?

In stage 6, my dad sometimes would close his eyes- which looked as if he was sleeping- but I think he was just taking a kind of sensory break. I found this happened more when there were other people in the house. His last Christmas home there were 6 of us and he went and sat on his couch and did this when he had "enough". 

A couple people in the support group mentioned this kind of behavior, too.

HB

Linda_Miami

Great question HB!

We get her out of bed in the morning and take her to the sofa where she falls back asleep within minutes.   I have seen her close her eyes when something is going on that she doesnt want to see (like the cat chasing the dog).  But I just feel that this is different.  We have to prop her up with pillows on her left side bc she kind of slumps over to the left when she falls asleep.  Sometimes I try to recline her back a little but she doesnt like when I do that.

Ugh.  I hate this.

BassetHoundAnn

In the memory care where my mom resides residents are often sleeping...in chairs in the main living room, on couches in the hallway. Mom claims her neighbors are sleeping in these places because they are avoiding paying rent. <g>

When I walk down the hall, if doors are open I see residents sleeping in their rooms. 

Mom also sleeps a lot. When I'm visiting she often drops asleep in her chair. She remarks that she feels like she's always sleeping. She is not on any medication that would make her sleepy. She still eats well and walks by herself. 

Linda_Miami

Thanks Bassett.  Yes I have seen the elderly taking naps in their wheelchair, on the sofa, etc.  I guess I just thought it was a nap though and not something they did all day long.

NizhoniGrrl

If this is new and unusual, this could really be a sign of increased decline. Her brain is working over time and needs more and more time to reset. I don't know for sure, but I would suspect it is an indication of approaching end stage. Is there any reason to make her move to the living room instead of letting her go back to bed? Maybe if she slept longer in bed she would have longer periods of alertness if you bring her to the table for meals? Just an idea.

LongBee2021

This happened to my grandpa just a couple weeks ago. Literally overnight he started sleeping like 20 hours a day. His doctors said it's normal for his stage (6) and that it's another indicator that he has progressed in the disease. They said as long as he is sleeping through the night (he is) then there is really nothing to be done. He's just getting closer and closer to end stage. So it's probably normal (as far as the disease goes) for your mom too. 

From what I've been reading on this forum, there can be several months prior to dying stage where the LO sleeps most of the day. 

For now, I am still letting his caretaker take him from his bedroom to the living room since it's the only exercise he gets, but I suspect by March, he will not be leaving his room, probably just getting up from his bed to his recliner which is right next to the bed. His legs are getting so weak that soon walking and/or standing will be an unnecessary risk.

Her sleeping more right now too allows you some more time to take care of yourself. If she's safe in bed or on the couch or wherever she's at, make sure you take a little time for yourself. It can help manage everything being able to "step away" while your LO sleeps. 

My grandpa is tucked in bed by 5pm and I am finally able to have an evening to myself. I still can't leave him on his own, but at least I can get a workout in or just binge Netflix or whatever I want to do. As hard as it's been watching his decline, his sleeping all day and night as given me some welcome respite. 

It sounds like your mom and my grandpa are having similar progressions. I know it's rough. Sending hugs and prayers. 

Farm Gal

Linda,  Yes my husband also sleeps a lot like your grandma.  He is in stage 6 but this year he has steadily started sleeping more.  He sleeps 13-16 hours a night and probably another 6-7 hours a day in his recliner.  Yes sometimes it is a catnap or just has his eyes closed but if he is really asleep I can make a lot of noise and he won't wake up.  I have always just decided it was his way of rejuvenating his mind a bit along with just plain needing more sleep.  

Like LongBee said it sure gives me a break so I can slip out and get an exercise routine or a walk done.  I have cameras on him so if I am out walking I get an alert on my phone if he moves or gets up and I hurry back to the house.  A nice little respite.   

BassetHoundAnn

For what it's worth, I had a brain tumor when I was a teenager. Ever since then I've slept long stretches, 27-30 hours at a time, sometimes for days at a time. It's what my brain needs. It's what brain damage does to you. I take no medication. Alzheimer's/dementia is the ultimate form of brain degradation so it's no surprise that sufferers, especially in advanced stages, are going to require more frequent sleep for their brain to regroup and recharge. And that's what I've always thought sleep is, the brain's effort to regroup, reassemble, sift through the file cabinets of memory, reorganize and try to make sense of things.