The individual typically gets out of be around midnight to 1 a.m. thinking it is time to cook breakfast. Typically there is a lot of banging of cookware, slamming cabinet doors (as if to wake the rest of us up) looking for food to cook. We have not noticed any signs of sun downers or any other significant signs that would lead to this type of activity. The individual gets exercise through the day, doesn't take naps and goes to be around 9:30 in the evening. What are we to do??
Mom has dementia and her sense of time has gotten really out of whack. If I offer to bring her tea I won't even get to the kitchen before she is hollering "Where is that tea?" She is not a demanding person, but 30 seconds and 30 minutes seem all the same to her.
For the individual you are working with, I wonder if a bedtime snack would help. You could also try setting out a little plate with a couple of cookies or a granola bar or a muffin or a single serving package of pudding or applesauce, etc., along with a note "Enjoy this treat now, and go back to bed. Breakfast will be at 8:30" Does this person normally cook breakfast when it is time for it?
That idea about projecting the time on the bedroom ceiling is brilliant. And if that doesn't work, you might try a bedtime medication to help the individual sleep through the night.
But there's another factor at play here -- selfishness. Feeling hungry in the middle of the night is one thing, but making all that noise is something else. It isn't necessary to wake the household in order to get a snack. This may be attention-getting behavior more than hunger.
Maybe best to discuss it with the individual's doctor?
Meanwhile, I send blessings for a quick resolution to this exhausting situation.
Angel
My mother is with me this long weekend after missing last month (she was in TCU), and she discovered the ceiling clock all over again. She is tickled by it!