![]() ![]() Bliwise DL, Mercaldo ND, Avidan AY, et al.Insomnia in patients with neurodegenerative conditions. Ideally, a safe and effective plan can be put in place that allows everyone to rest easy. It may take some trial and error to find the right strategy. Light therapy - exposing people to minimum amounts of bright light during the day - might also help reset circadian rhythms and improve nighttime sleeping (6). wake times, meal times, bedtimes) regular exercise restricting naptime during the day and ensuring a comfortable, temperature controlled and soothing environment for sleeping (5). Some ideas include: establishing consistent daily routines (e.g. Until we know more, safer non-drug approaches to encourage sleep are worth a try. Some evidence shows that trazodone and orexin antagonists may improve certain sleep outcomes, but more research is needed for conclusive results (3).Īlthough it is not as helpful to find out what doesn’t work or where more research is needed – especially for people desperate for a good night’s sleep – these findings can help people with dementia and their caregivers avoid taking an unnecessary medication.īesides the four drugs included in this review, we don’t yet know enough about the benefits and risks of other common sleep medications to recommend them… yet many people are prescribed these drugs anyway. Melatonin and ramelteon did not significantly help to improve sleep in people with dementia. Four common medications were included in the studies-the hormone melatonin (five trials), the antidepressant trazodone (one trial), the hypnotic orexin antagonist (one trial), and the sedative ramelteon (one trial). Unfortunately, there does not seem to be an easy sleep solution. Participants were given commonly prescribed sleep medications. The authors of a systematic reviewhoped to learn more about which medications work best to help people with Alzheimer’s disease and sleep disturbances (3). There are also concerns about harmful side effects (4). While prescription sleeping pills and over-the-counter sleep aids can help people with sleep problems, it’s not clear whether they work the same way in people with dementia. It’s a distressing problem that can affect the quality of life of people with dementia as well as their caregivers. Wakeful nights are usually followed by excessive sleepiness during the day (3). ![]() As a result, people with dementia often have trouble falling or staying asleep at night, wake early or frequently, and often wander at night, risking falls and other injuries. Sleep problems may be related to changes in the brain that affect the “circadian rhythm” or body clock (3). Why is that? As with many aspects of dementia, we don’t yet know. Sleep: a basic human need, yet so often a source of frustration.įrom occasional bouts of restlessness to chronic insomnia, sleep problems can affect anyone at any age but they’re particularly common – and difficult to resolve – in people with dementia (1 2). ![]()
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