Talking gibberish in his sleep

Cathy coconis

hi Wondering if any caregivers in the group have experienced constant nonsense talk during the night. My DH with Alzheimer's, will sound like he's carrying on a conversation, but it doesn't make sense. It's a rambling on that keeps me awake, and startles him awake when he gets loud or angry, in his sleep. If I try to wake him up he is confused, goes back to sleep, and talks/yells all over again. Any thoughts/advice/similar experiences?

Dio

Not sure about Alzheimer's but my DH talked gibberish, a language I couldn't understand/heard of, way before the onset of the LBD. I'd say just let him be and not wake him unless he's posing a danger to himself or you.

midge333

My DW would do that intermittently.

SDianeL

yes. Very common. My DH couldn’t determine what were dreams and what was real when he woke. Is he on medication to help him sleep? Maybe sleep in another room and put an alarm on his bed?

Carl46

I get that too. Sometimes when she is restless she will wake me about once an hour to talk for a little while, too, but then she makes sense, usually.

allit

My wife with MCI has doing some of that too. Seems to have just started recently. I wasn’t sure if it was the MCI process or the Leqembi. Sounds like it’s just a part of the process.

Russinator

My DW does it also. When I ask her what she said she says, in perfect english, that she can't remember.

Jazzma

My DH does that. He also moves his arms around in the air above him, as if he's drawing. He sleeps late in the mornings, and I often hear him having a conversation on his own — usually laughing.

bwanasil

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/72569/talking-gibberish-in-his-sleep

My DW does this in her sleep and also during the day. It is so hard and unfortunately not going to get any better

DTSbuddy

This is symptomatic of Fluent Primary Progressive Aphasia, my DH's diagnosis. Listening to his incomprehensible babble as though I can understand it sometimes relaxes him, including some 'Uh-huh's and smiles. I have tried very hard to figure out what he is visualizing or commenting on, without success. It can be unbelieveably irritating, but if I smile and listen pleasantly for 10 or 15 minutes, that is sometimes long enough, to get him to relax and stop.

debriesea

My DH started this last Saturday night and it lasted 3 nights. Now he is back to sleeping more and less of the of the wall talking. In retrospect, a head cold was going around the family and he had complained twice of a headache during that time. I’m assuming it was the head cold that triggered this odd behavior.
He has had a similar crazy reaction after giving him Melatonin at bedtime. My research showed this can be a side affect for persons with dementia taking Melatonin. Symptoms were gone once I stopped. He had 3 tablets over a week’s time period.
I’m glad the crazy, off the wall, all night, one sided conversations are very diminished now. He was also hallucinating, seeing people and things coming in and out of the room. He also saw a face at the end of the bed looking at him. When I turned on the light he said he knows its not there but it was. In the dark, he was also reaching out for all the lights, wondering what they were. Day and night he would search for something but he couldn’t remember what it was. Once he said, “The thing I want to look for keeps disappearing.” (My daughter loved that quote.😉). That behavior is back to rarely now.
I’m not looking forward to if/when this behavior takes a forefront. I prefer the sleeping mostly.
Thank you again for all the insight and knowledge, compassion and understanding on this Alz group chat. I have learned so much to help me through the stages and to help prepare what may happen in the future.

Cathy coconis

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/238698#Comment_238698

thanks

Cathy coconis

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/238713#Comment_238713

thanks for sharing

Cathy coconis

Thanks so much

Cathy coconis

Thanks for sharing. Glad my DH is not hallucinating - that I know of 😉

I’ll stay away from melatonin although I’ve often heard of it being prescribed.

Cathy coconis

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/238720#Comment_238720

no meds to help with sleep. Thanks for the support.

catanol1

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/238755#Comment_238755

hubby talks in his sleep as well, mostly gibberish. I let him. I sleep separately because for the most part, he does sleep the night through, I don’t. And to not bother him with a lamp or watching a movie I stay in a separate bedroom. I’ve had back surgery and cataract surgery the past 3 to 4 years so slept separately at that point because I didn’t want to get hit in the face or the back, as he sometimes has done without realizing it. So I’ve just let everything continue, and for the time being it works.

upstateAnn

Yes. Sometimes he laughs and seems to be having a very good time. I am happy for him.