Dementia Sundowning Tip

It’s our mission to make dementia caregiving easier for families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, or any other type of dementia. We do so by making free educational training videos like this so that anyone with an internet connection can access this information.
In this video, I share a tip on how to prevent or reduce dementia sundowning.
📺 FREE Dementia Caregiver Training on How to Care For a Loved One With Dementia- WITHOUT The Overwhelm, Dread, and Confusion: ➡︎ www.dementiacareclass.com/yt
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[@keishamcpherson6012]

I noticed that my husband's sundowning would start around the time I was cooking dinner. When it was time to eat, he would be upset about anything. Now, I cook, and then tell him right away it is time for a shower. This has helped him relax and then he gets excited because he knows dinner is next. It distracts him for a while. After dinner, he is ready to wind down for bed. We started this routine about three weeks ago, and it has been very helpful for us. My prayers go out to all caregivers 🙏🏾💖 Thank you Dr. Natalie for your videos 🙌🏾

[@rondaleistiko1227]

My mom has sundowners Early in the day after lunch it starts. And she is awake around 3am we brought her home to Portland Oregon from Yuma Arizona and the time difference is an hour. She won't eat after 4 so I have to give her meds very early in the morning and early evening. She's too irritable and restless to take them after that time.

[@gloriasway8068]

That’s great 🥰🥰💜💜

[@Ryan88881]

Showering during sundown syndrome? Sorry I really want to believe you here but there’s no way anyone whose really sundowning would be able to do that or even entertain the idea. You know sundowning is not simply just a change in mood right? You feel like you’re being tortured. Getting “excited” about anything for the next several hours is not even an option on the menu.

[@keishamcpherson6012]

@Ryan88881 Remember everyone is different. And at different stages in their illness. When I left the comment several months ago, that's the stage my husband was at, and what I did at the time certainly helped, so I left the comment in hopes that it could help someone else. Are we still there? No, not at all. The disease has progressed. Believe me, I understand sundowners. Yes, I am tortured daily after 5:30pm, when the devil shows up in my husband, and it's not pretty. My heart continues to go out to all who have to endure this horrible disease.

[@Ryan88881]

@@keishamcpherson6012 Yeah it is horrible. Sorry to hear that and yeah, 5:40pm was the marker for me virtually always. I just wouldn't try to make conversation or do any activities during that time. Sounds tough but I just couldn't imagine being around anyone else in that state. At least it only lasted 2 or so hours but during that time even talking in complete sentences would have been a challenge. Symptoms constellate pretty quickly though and you go down into the depths of woe and misery very quickly.

[@deborahdean8867]

Hats off to all kids who take care of their parents! Gives me hope in mankind.

[@kaymeeksthetravelingthrifter]

That’s me right now pray for me

[@deborahdean8867]

@@kaymeeksthetravelingthrifter dementia is hard. Connect yourself with care giver support. Bless you.

[@anthonyc5039]

@@kaymeeksthetravelingthriftersame, gave up years of my life now I’m a financial mess and have health problems myself. Really wish there was more support out there! Good luck and don’t forget to put your future first since nobody else will. 🙏

[@nemesis1487]

6 years caring for mum...and still going

[@anthonyc5039]

@@nemesis1487 almost wish we could all Live together in a mall full of crazy people 😂 God Bless you and your mum 💚

[@debracarltock4878]

Your clips are awesome and helpful mother 👩 only wants to sleep, eat,play on phone, watch TV,and complaints about from the time she gets up around 4or5 until 1,2 at her bed time...she also is paranoid, negative all the time she is awake ⏰️...I'm trying to keep 😀 positive about everything, and I have found how 🤔 difficult it can be!!!

[@mokogordon9761]

❤❤

[@Seamonkey555]

1) Close blinds before sundowning occurs. 2)Offer a small snack.

[@tamikoschrum5111]

She doesn’t have sundowning she wakes up about 5am and changes her clothes about 8 times then empties all her drawers and packs them in her pillowcase because she thinks she’s just visiting. 😢 everyday!

[@catalinacurio]

Then can you try packing her clothes into a case and leaving her out five options to change into?

[@lindyft1488]

Put all the clothes somewhere else and leave like 5 kits I took most of the stuff from dad's room

[@OhMaryJo]

@@catalinacurioThat’s such a good idea! I’m having that problem with my mother. I put her clothes away and before you know it the clean clothes are on the bed, on the floor, or in the dirty clothes basket. I’m so tired of washing clean clothes!

[@chriskampf8828]

My mom had some short term memory loss. She wasn’t eating right now and taking her medicines and got dehydrated and ended up in the hospital. They put her on a bunch of meds. When I went to pick her up a week or so later, as I’m in another state, and I was going to bring her back to my state to care for her. In my home, she was a totally different woman. She was weeping, and she was saying how she was having bad dreams, and she kept seeing bugs crawl all over the floor and she told me my nose was running, and etc. etc.. I drove her home and she kept seeing people jump in front of the cars and it was so horrific. I did all I could do to keep from bawling while I was driving because this was not the mom that I knew even just a few weeks ago. Yes she was struggling with a little bit of short term memory loss but nothing to this extent. When I picked her up from the hospital, they told me that this would happen every day, and it was called sundowning, and it was part of her dementia diagnosis which I had not even been told that she had been diagnosed with that. When I got home, I ended up making a decision to take her off of the medicines that they had put her on when she was in the hospital, and Wala! No more sundowning! I’m sure that this can occur on a regular basis with true diagnosis but please be aware that the meds that these people had put my mama and was actually creating these symptoms for her.

[@chriskampf8828]

That should say voila!

[@azbuckeyegirl9523]

Thank you so much for typing all this. So helpful. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@lindaanderson1016]

It took several of us to get my mom out shopping, short walks, to restaurants, hair appointments every day, so she could sleep almost through the night, every night.....It was worth it.

[@juliamessina1845]

Your advice guided my caregiving of my beloved mom throughout her dementia. Thank you.

[@tracysmith245]

im about to start this with our mum so glad i found this need to know what to expect i have terrible time at work i go in the afternoons seen it so many times when it is at home very real 24/7 early stage yet see what happens next year

[@elainemedley8638]

This works for sure👍🏼 We try several different ways to avoid the issue. Piano time, music, visit to my sister right down the hall or. FaceTime with my other sister out of state. He loves any and all of these ways. And goes off to bed w/o any worries ❤❤ As always, thank you 🙏

[@thomasmcgahey8536]

Thank goodness for your videos this helps me so much to better understand my mom’s dementia as a caregiver

[@isabellelaval7294]

It would've been helpful to provide even the simplest explaination of sundowning.

[@lindyft1488]

They don't know yet

[@angik23]

This is a ‘short’…Not much time to explain every single term. Google what sundowning is please. I did.💖

[@Martive_Led]

The person becomes highly active as the sun goes down and the evening begins. Theiet activity can progress to hours of frenzied behavior. In some cases, from personal experience, the behavior can turn highly toxic and violent.

[@rondaleistiko1227]

Missed mom's night time med's last night 😢 long day adding a little Trip to the farmers market she just wanted to go to bed. She was up at 3 am dressed her self up for the day.

[@gloriasway8068]

Great tips 🥰

[@sue-brownhenry3220]

My mind sundown starts around 8-9pm, when it starts getting dark. She starts wanting to go home, she worries about not having a coat, (it's summer), who's going to take her home, do I know where she lives, who's art her house? She starts Cookeville my stuff thinking it's hers and gets made when I dint let her take it home with her. Right now she didn't live with me, I bring her home around bedtime. My daughter is buying her house. So she will be moving in on a month or two. I think it may be easier. When I take her home, she's been saying that's not her house. She wants to go to her other house. My daughter tells her, she'll take her to her home in the morning. The only actively that she likes is eating ice cream.

[@buelan.6525]

Great, great suggestions.

[@georgelewis8798]

Thank you Mam.

[@whitneysawyer483]

Thanks for this tip!

[@Iinfiniteknowing]

When all else fails i think it could be helpful and healthy to give them something to sleep(natural(preferably).i think everyone would get a good nights sleep and this would help them to be less prone to mobility accidents,better congnitive function,happier mood......

[@lindyft1488]

My dad's doctor presicred bit I'm in another country

[@harleenkirkland6153]

Thank you, This is a very smart option,

[@joannpajunas9905]

Thank you Dr Natalie. Our mom does not engage in anything. She wont look at photos, newspaper, TV, music. Talking about birds, the weather, her house etc helps a little. Arm "dancing" helps sometimes.

[@a.lauber-942]

Not always true. I took Car😅e of my Mom fir 13 years and I Am an elder care therapist. This sounds good but doesn't always work.

[@virginiaandrade8009]

Why am I getting a bunch of videos about sundowning? This is creeping me out (no I don't have dementia)

[@user-sr1kc6jj2b-p1q]

The algorithym has noticed that you have an interest in dementia.

[@janetstarnes3405]

GOD BLESS YOU 🙏 You Sure KNOW ALOT ABOUT Dementia. 💕♥️💕♥️💕♥️💕♥️💕♥️💕♥️💕♥️💕♥️💕

[@melanieburg7614]

Thank you 🎉

[@subversivevegan]

Great advice (as always). My LO is mostly bedridden, so it's hard. I like to bring up photo albums of trips we took and people we love...ice cream also is soothing.

[@angik23]

I’m in this same situation with my mother. She gets giddy over even just vanilla ice cream. Lol😁🥰

[@lianadiaz1439]

Very helpful information! Thank you!!🙏🏽

[@NoteConference]

Just subscribed Thanks

[@dawnsalisbury9693]

My dad died this year and we didn’t know anything about sundowns until he went to hospice. His wife did horrible things to him while he suffered this!! It broke me in soo many ways!

[@bethrhyne46]

Thank you

[@chriistiemichaell6809]

Thank you❤

[@schristopher5684]

Wow what a great concept! You would think memory care facilities would do this...its definitely not happening where my step dad is and its 10k to move him!

[@kurtnelson9714]

The sundown activities, start @ 11:pm. Sometimes later. Its tough to be up at 7. When they have no concept of time.

[@Ryan88881]

I appreciate the effort and practical considerations but there’s nothing that can quell or stop sundowning episodes. It just doesn’t work that way and when sundowning you don’t want anybody near you. The best thing you can do for someone sundowning (unless heavy medication is involved) is simply to keep away from them. Just give them space. It only lasts about 2 hours anyways. You can’t do anything during a legit sundowning episode other than suffer. Trying to take part in even the most rudimentary and simple conversations or “activities” is virtually impossible. Maybe some only have a mild form but genuine sundowning is incredibly intense, it’s not just some mood change.

[@lisasimons5848]

Easier said than done

[@BLFulle]

My mom isn't interested in anything. Not even TV.

[@gillianm9367]

Have you tried her favourite music from years gone by ? Or helped build photo albums with names and dates written beside the pictures?

[@BLFulle]

@@gillianm9367 I do play the music she loved. Funny thing about her is that she's losing her ability to remember how to word things so she sings them. I burned myself recently and she started singing "Burning Ring of Fire". I laugh. What can you do. You have to have a sense of humor and do the best you can.

[@phoebemarple5094]

I'm going through the same thing. She won't do, doesn't like anything. It's so hard and sundowns nearly every day.

[@lindyft1488]

​@@phoebemarple5094sleeping meds his doctor prescribe

[@rmcneall]

What is sundowning?

[@susiegentle7727]

Yes! I don't know what sundowning is either

[@darci1410]

Its a kind of dementia where the person may experience -restlessness, agitation, irritability, or confusion that can begin or worsen as daylight begins to fade.

[@rmcneall]

@@darci1410 Thanks!

[@deniesekline-thatcher8380]

Great 💡 idea 💞🩷👏

[@celestehogan5907]

Thank you ..But their behaviors are complex and the progression so unique, within certain dementias , it’s actually different for each patient … doesn’t always work out cuz of the stubborn factor. Yes they don’t want to listen.. especially if mixed w any pain or exhaustion ..

[@sonicmagnus5312]

my 81 year old sugar Mama is going through this currently its very hard to deal with

[@mmart1312]

How about when you have 34 of them?

[@BetterHalfHour]

Lavender spray, 1940s big band, and a piece of dark chocolate. 💜

[@bookmouse2719]

Is this about the old movie with Debra Kerr?

[@deborahdean8867]

Does it help the petson if you turn on all the lights in the house before the sun starts to set?

[@lordessvoldemort2928]

How to do this when it evolves around certain food item which has the potential to get their diabetes high? I have tried going on walks and do art and craft with my mother who’s affected by FTD. But, as she gets done with it immediately she will ask for that food item and constantly keep asking for it.

[@ss-321]

You can not get them involved in anything, they & family in denial also to to keep mouth shut at regular Dr's. Appt,I do not understand why Dr. Do not address this with the Adu l t children that take him to regular appt.?

[@Anastasia-np1mj]

Are there ways to prevent unwanted behaviours, like nose picking or teeth picking?

[@catalinacurio]

Worry beads or rosary beads?

[@brandimaddox5497]

What I'm deal with my dad

[@lah1743]

Ha! My mom won't do anything I suggest.

[@freudiandisaster2912]

How about really genuinely being nice to “them”. They are your grandpas and grandmas and loved ones. How about you “let them engage in whatever they like” to reduce “behaviours”. Ish…

[@whatsupchannel3047]

If my loved one agrees , I wash and cream her feet , massage with lavender cream which she adores me doing this normally and helps her with sleeping .

[@phyllisbrowne9710]

Give them massive doses of indica weed and micro dose magic mushrooms and a glass of wine . I mean what could it hurt

[@sharonlanteri2537]

What is sundowning?