Tried to increase MELATONIN through tart cherry juice 1 teaspoon per day. Even this low dose seems to cause loose stools and rushing to bathroom a little too late.
Tried to replace LARGACTYL sedative through cup of warm milk with 1 teaspoon sugar before bedtime.
Seems to sleep through the night. Then wakes up early morning 5am. Then breakfast at 7am. Then falls asleep. IMPOSSIBLE to keep her awake !
Now considering changing MY routine to suit HER routine. IS IT NECESSARY to follow the "circadian cycle" of "day-work night-sleep" ???
Maybe "night-work day-sleep" should be promoted because it is more beneficial to ELDER despite inconvenient to carer ? Carer's FOCUS should be ELDER (not carer).
I take 3 mg melatonin at night to help me - they are mint flavoured that dissolve in the mouth under the tongue but I believe that you can get them in many forms [possibly gummies?] so find 1 she likes & give her a pre-bed 'treat' every night - my dr advised to take it about 1 hour before going to bed so it is working well
Mom on the other hand with dementia at 97 has not been doing the normal daily tasks so she has spent most of her days meddling, standing in front of the fridge, nibbling/snacking/ spitting grape skins in the sink and reading and re-reading. I have caught her napping on the sofa but she will NEVER put her feet up. She more recently began going to bed earlier (between 6 and 7) though dad has brought her down to eat dinner by 7. Sometimes the early to bed routine results in her getting up at 2 or 3 AM. She typically will go down and fuss around with dishes, turn lights on, read etc.
It is what it is except that my pup is my alarm system and will woof if anyone goes past our door, which wakes me...
It is harder for some seniors to stick to a day/night schedule. Daylight, as in go outside, for extended periods of time helps to let folks' brains know when "day" is. If your LO takes a nap, limit it to 30 minutes or less so he/she is tired at bedtime. Exercise during the day may also help your LO to be more alert during the day and able to nod off at night. It may be time to get prescription sleep aides (aka sleeping pills) to help her rest throughout the night. You can try Benadryl or Tylenol PM (which has Benadryl in it) since this antihistamine tends to make people sleepy. We have used it for years in the hospital as a sleep aide for seniors. Of course, get your health care providers OK before trying it.
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/shift-work-disorder/what-shift-work-disorder/living-coping-shift-work-disorder
I would really caution against drastically changing your natural sleep/wake schedule for an extended time unless you are prepared to become less healthy.
Cant she be left to watch tv while she is up? Lock the doors, turn off power to stove/kitchen? Or find personal care or a carer for ccx a few hrs.
And towards the last few days or weeks of life, they may sleep 70 % to-100% of time.
My only problem was when he started waking me hourly at night to assist him in voiding (he used a urinal) - I was then advised to start using Ashwagandha and it helped me to get back to sleep most of the time. I kept iPad tablets charged for when I just couldn't get back to sleep. But really, the Ashwagandha helped me to remain stress-free and fully rested.
If you decide to change your schedule, decide how much sleep you need and a sleep schedule. Stick to that schedule. Make sure you get 7-9 hours. 4 hours of sleep will eventually lead you to being physically and mentally exhausted. You might find yourself getting sick more often. (It's why it quite my job) Also, make sure your family and friends know when you will be sleeping.
I learned all this the hard way.
As far as promoting the night work cycle, no way would I do that, nor would I give up my entire way of living for someone else. Homes put their focus on the elders, that is their job not mine!
It was not uncommon for my Husband to sleep up to 20 hours a day and as he got closer to EOL (end of life) he slept even more. I am sure there were plenty of times he was awake at night and I was unaware of it. I would get him out of bed at 7 am, sometimes I would wake him but most of the time he was already awake. I guess the advantage I had was that he would not get out of bed unless I got him out.
When she wakes at 5 am what does she do? Do you HAVE to get her out of bed, or could she relax a bit more and give you another hour or so?
As caregivers we do have to focus on self care while we are also caring for someone else. So your sleep is very important, the time you spend on yourself is very important.
I just read one of your replies to an answer abut why they sleep so much.
There is a pamphlet you can read, you can read it on line..it is called Crossing the Creek. This pamphlet deals with sleeping a lot. And the explanation makes a lot of sense to me.
While people towards EOL sleep a lot it is to help them resolve issues. A lot can be done in a dream state that can not be done in real time. Sort of like when you have a dream and it seems like so much time has passed in the dream but when you wake it is only minutes.
I think a lot of processing of events also happens while they are a sleep. People with dementia are bombarded with stuff going on around them and it might be only when they sleep that they can slow events down enough to process them.
In any case..don't change your sleep pattern just to accommodate your mom's.
If she can safely stay in bed for a little while leave her there. It just might be that getting up a bit later will shift her day a bit and she will get used to the schedule.
If you can keep her engaged with projects during the day, a walk (even if she is using a wheelchair) the fresh air might help. This might stave off one of the naps and might lead to longer sleep at night.
Best of luck!