Late Stage Alzheimers and Awake all night

Kathyliverpool

Hi,

My father was in hospital in November since he had not eaten for a couple of days and my brother was worried. When my father returned home after 2+ weeks he was severely diminished. The hospital doctor told my brother he thought this was the end stage and that my dad would continue to go downhill. At that point I went to live with my brother (I live in Parker, Co. and my father lives in England).

Dad seems to have improved a little. He is drinking up to 1200 ml of fortified liquid a day. He is bed bound. I don't know if he knows who we are. We often cannot understand what he is trying to say. My brother and I take turns sleeping on the floor by my father's bed at night because he has tried to get out of bed (and fell once). He has also woken up in the night very shaky and looking very scared.

Now he has started alternating days where he is alert in the morning, sleeps a few hours in the afternoon (we put him down), and we get him up around 3 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. After a couple of days he ends up awake all night long in bed. If I try to have the room darkened he gets more agitated and scared, so I am up all night and can't doze because we have a brightly lit room. The next day he sleeps most of the day, and sleeps soundly at night.

This is exhausting!

Does anyone have experience with this?

Hoping to hear,

Kathy

M1

Kathy, does he have access to Hospice care?  Sounds like it might help you get some assistance and rest for yourself.

mommyandme (m&m)

When you say “we put him down” do you mean getting him all settled in his bedroom where he sleeps at night?  

I might try letting him sleep where he is in the day, not in the bedroom.  Maybe he has a recliner in the living room?  If he truly needs some rest he’ll get it regardless of the living going on around him.  Maybe this could separate his sleep patterns.  Also maybe some melatonin prior to his regular bed time. 

Just a thought, hope you can get some rest soon.