5 Tips to Help Combat Sundown Syndrome

What is Sundown Syndrome?

Sundown Syndrome, or Sundowning, is a phenomenon that causes restlessness and confusion toward the end of the day in patients with forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s. If your loved one is experiencing symptoms related to Sundown Syndrome, it’s possible that they will show signs of agitation, confusion, anxiety, and frustration as the sun begins to set. These symptoms tend to present themselves toward the middle stages of conditions such as Alzheimer’s and are often presented as pacing, wandering, mood swings, delirium, insomnia, frustration, and irritability.

What Causes Sundown Syndrome?

There has not been a distinctly identified cause for Sundown Syndrome, but it is widely understood that there are some factors that could contribute to your loved one experiencing more severe symptoms. This phenomenon gets its name by its relation to the setting sun. It is believed that because of the way natural sunlight affects our internal clock and chemical balances in the brain, that this change in individuals with forms of dementia causes an increase in confusion and anxiety toward the end of the day. Additional factors such as fatigue, hunger, thirst, pain, boredom, and depression can also cause an individual to present more severe sundowning symptoms. While Sundowning Syndrome is not a condition that can be cured, addressing the cause of these contributing factors could help soothe and reduce the severity of symptoms in those with forms of dementia.

1. Set a schedule.

Familiarity is key in helping reduce sundowning. If your loved one has a more structured daily schedule, it will prove helpful when completing daily tasks like mealtime, taking medication, and physical activities. The familiarity in a structured, repeated daily schedule can help reduce anxiety and help caregivers stay organized when caring for a loved one with any form of dementia.

2. Reduce stressors

To someone with Dementia or Alzheimer’s, stimulation can be tiring and can easily lead to irritation. Reducing stressors such as loud noises, lots of talking and interactions, as well as the changing of a caregiver can help to sooth sundowning symptoms. Sometimes these situations are unavoidable, however. The first step in reducing confusion is to know exactly what might be triggering to your loved one and try to reduce the effects of it. If your loved one is having difficulty sleeping, make sure to reduce their caffeine or liquid intake closer to bedtime to ensure they get a better night’s rest. If you find that they are more confused around mealtimes, try to reduce noise and chaos around that time period.

3. Control light exposure and sleep patterns

If your loved one tends to get restless or insomnia in the evening or nighttime, it might be important to change their light exposure during the day, their nap patterns, and their sleeping environment to ensure they get a restful night’s sleep. This will not only help with evening restlessness but can help reduce confusion caused by tiredness. It’s widely theorized that forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, affect the body’s natural sleep cycle causing the symptoms of sundowning to worsen.

• Regular sunlight

Make sure your loved one gets lots of sunlight during the day to help rebalance the body’s natural cycle and help reduce restlessness in the evening.

• Shorter, well-timed naps

Napping during the day could also be disrupting your loved one’s sleep patterns, as well. Limit daytime naps to a shorter period of time and make sure that they are not too close to bedtime. This will help with bedtime restlessness and help with general confusion throughout the day.

• Sleep environment

Make sure that the environment your loved one is sleeping in at night is primed for the best rest possible. A dark, calm, cool room can aide in helping your loved one get the best night’s sleep possible. Consider using light-blocking curtains or an eye mask to help keep the room dark and bumping the thermostat down to a comfortable, cool temperature. For safety, make sure to keep the floor clear of any trip hazards and add some dim night lights to help in case your loved one does have to get up in the night. If you prepare the environment your loved one is sleeping in, then you will likely find that they will have a more restful sleep and possibly be more alert the following day.

4. Distractions

Having stress-relieving distractions can be a useful tool to help reduce anxiety and confusion toward the end of the day. Many studies show that those with forms of dementia respond well to music. Consider playing some calming music that you know they enjoy and reducing other noise and stimuli to help distract from their anxieties. Some have found that playing light music through headphones can help to calm and reduce confusion in their loved ones with forms of dementia.

5. Medication

Lastly, it’s very important to discuss with your loved one’s doctors about their sundown syndrome. It’s possible that the side effects of the medication they’re taking could be causing the condition to worsen. Some medications cause drowsiness or confusion and could irritate existing symptoms. Along with changing your loved one’s medication, the doctor might also be able to suggest alternative treatment options to help alleviate some of the symptoms.

If you need support to help care for your loved one, know that NurseCore is here to help. Our highly trained memory care staff are available to help give the best care and quality of life. If you are considering hiring a home health care professional, please contact us for more details and we will place you with the right individual to suit your needs.