How do we get any sleep?

crtwilliams

Mom has not yet been diagnosed with dementia but has an appt to see a vascular neurologist in May. She has small vessel disease in her brain and infarcts have been seen in frontal and corona radiata areas. Nights are horrible at our house. She isn't able to sleep and wants me to stay awake to make sure she is safe even if she falls asleep. She also has issues with a fib. I don't know what to do. Help is 3 months away.

harshedbuzz

@crtwilliams

Hi and welcome. I am sorry for your reason to be here but pleased you found this place.

It's great that you have an appointment set up, but "help" may or may not be included with that visit. In your shoes, I would make an appointment with a geriatric psychiatrist for some medication to dial back the anxiety that is driving this disruptive behavior.

HB

H1235

Welcome. Would you be able to get into her pcp any sooner? Not that the pcp is necessarily the best resource, but in a pinch. Could you call and ask a nurse about melatonin? Camomile tea maybe. Keep her as active as you can during the day so she might be more apt to be tired in the evening. Avoid anything with caffeine. I doubt any of these will be a true solution, but may help a bit. I think medication is the real answer, but obviously you need to be able to get into a doctor for that. I hope you can find something that helps.