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By Carol Bradley Bursack
As people age, they tend to sleep more lightly and often awaken during the night from achy joints or the need to go to the bathroom. Many people compensate for this lost sleep by catching a restorative nap during the day. That’s normal.
Daytime sleeping becomes a problem when an elder spends the majority of the day dozing in a chair rather than engaging in life. People with dementia seem especially prone to this type of daytime sleeping, sometimes losing interest in meals and even failing to notice that they need to use the bathroom.
Boredom, depression, chronic pain and/or nutritional deficiencies can be some of the underlying causes that account for excessive daytime sleeping. Medications can also be a problem. If you want your loved one to stay awake more during the day and hopefully sleep better at night you may likely need the help of the physician.
A doctor can determine if depression, pain, vitamin deficiencies or medications could be at the root of this daytime sleepiness. If the doctor’s determination is simply that your loved one is bored, then you’ll need to find ways to stimulate his or her interest in life. Often, that means some socialization through visitors, attending events at a senior center or even adult day care.
Atypical (second generation) antipsychotics are notoriously bad for most elderly patients. If your loved one is on one of these medications, have a serious talk with the physician. There was a time when these drugs were widely used, but now they are typically prescribed for elders only when nothing else is effective.
While antidepressants can be a blessing, finding the right one can take time and sleepiness can be a side effect of many of them. Other common medications such as blood pressure drugs can also cause people to nod off. If your loved one is sleeping too much during the day, ask the doctor to review the medications and see if an adjustment can be made.
Untreated depression can also be the cause of daytime sleepiness. Some doctors think that depression is highly under diagnosed in our elderly population, so having your loved one checked for depression by a qualified doctor is important.
Then, there’s simple boredom. As people age, they may suffer from chronic pain. They may struggle with reading or puzzles because of poor eyesight. They get tired of TV. These elders may not be clinically depressed, but with no schedule to keep and not much going on in their lives, they slide into the habit of napping most of the day.
Adult day care (ADC) can be a help to people who want to preprevent a loved one from sleeping during the day. Needing to adhere to a schedule such as being ready for the ADC bus can alone be very helpful. Once your loved one has arrived there will be professionals and peers to keep things lively.
After a few hours at ADC, your loved one may be much more apt to be tired in the evening. If ADC isn’t an option perhaps hiring someone to come in during the day to provide companionship and some day trips may help your loved one maintain an interest in life.
Your goal–determine why your loved one is sleeping all day. If a physician says he or she is nearing the end of life, it’s up to the family to accept that fact, comfort their loved one and not try to provoke them into activity. However, in the many instances where medication, depression or boredom are causing the problem, medical help and scheduled entertainment may be the answer.
Don’t try to solve the problem alone. Ask for help from physicians, friends and other caregivers. By doing so, you’ll at least get support in your caregiving, and you may find a workable solution.
Fortunately some individuals can still work or volunteer part time. Its possible to see behavior begin to change. Your loved one may stay awake for longer and longer periods of time.
Carol Bradley Bursack
