Sleep Induced Hallucinations

By Linda Friday, October 05, 2007

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Hello Again Everyone:

I've posted this before and haven't gotten any feedback. Has anyone had similar experiences? My mom goes "in and out" - for several days she can be fine and other days, well you all know. But I've noticed that often when she nods off she goes into "another world" and engages in "activities" which stay with her when she awakes. For instance: (imaginary) sewing, cooking, paperwork, shopping with dad (whose been dead 15 years).

I know there are no answers and every day is new. Just wondered if anyone else has seen this.

Thanks for being there.

Linda

Lethargy

Comments (8) | Add comment

MK, Editor

10/ 5/07 5:01pm

Hi Linda and thanks for continuing to write! My name is MK and I am the producer of this site. I am so sorry that no one responded to this post the first time!

I haven't seen anyone else on the site talking about this, so I'm not sure I have any links to refer you to. Carol Bradley Bursack wrote a blog on Coping with Alternate Realities of Dementia Patients but in it she refers to awake behavior, not sleep behavior.

What I can do is forward your question along to one of our medical experts on the site and see if they have heard of anything like this before.

Thanks again for writing,

Linda

10/ 6/07 9:29am

Hi MK:

Thanks for writing. Actually, Carol did respond to my first post, bless her. But unfortunately her sources couldn't come up with any suggestions "sight unseen". And I guess none of our shareposters have seen this in their loved ones.

Anyway, I'm just so glad to have this site as a resource and sounding board.

Linda

twoclncooks

10/ 8/07 11:26pm

Hello linda, my name is susie and i have just found this site on oct. 8th. I take care of my dad he is 85 and has dementia. Your post was the first one i've read and the funny thing is that iam going through just that problem with dad. He doesn't seem to be awake and alert when he is yelling at a couple of dogs or some men walking around in our house or when he is talking to my mother (which has been gone for 8 yrs). I have no help and i ve been up for 24 to 48 hour at a time. Dad has gone outside in his underwear and we put a deadblot on the front door and have put locks on the two gates in the back yard. So i was prepared to stay up last nite and dad decided that he wouldn't do his walk abouts or yelling he just slept all nite. Great for him but me now iam so tierd and i bet he'll walk tonite now that iam off his nite schedule. One thing i have notice and i don't know if this has anything to do with it. Daddy's feet look swollen when he go through this.

All so had to put him in the hosp for 6 days. It turned out that he had a urinary tract infection and that could cause elderly and people with dementia to go off the deep end. But daddy didn't go back to his baseline after the treatment of the infection.

susie

Linda

10/10/07 5:32pm

Hi Susie:

I'm glad you found this website. I hope you'll find it as useful as I have. At the very least, you'll come to know you're not alone. And it feels good to "talk" to people in the same situation as you.

I don't have any explanation for why sleeping might cause hallucinations when things are pretty much OK before. Maybe dreams that you and I would put aside upon awakening follow your dad and my mom into their waking.

Certainly a urinary tract infection could cause hallucinations/delusions. Did your dad have same problems before he was hospitalized? Maybe they'll wear off; but doesn't sound like it.

Try talking to your father's doctor. Sometimes certain drugs can make the problem worse. Maybe some changes can be made. How about asking doc about a sleeping pill? Although sleeping pills don't seem to work well for my mother.

I know it sounds impossible, but you HAVE to try to take care of yourself. It's not selfish - it's necessary so you can keep your health and sanity and continue to help your dad. If you can afford it, consider getting some outside help, even if it's a few hours a day.

Remember, I care as do everyone else on this website.

Linda

twoclncooks

10/11/07 12:07pm

good morning. thanks for the reply. been up for 24 hrs yesterday and family came home from school and work this is when mom (me) tryed to get some sleep. Dad was up all nite and day too. So iam sleeping and my husband was suppost to wake me up before he went to bed,but he feel asleep and didn't. At 1:30 in the morning daddy was tapping on our glass door with his cane. (we live in the converted garage) so dad has to walk outside to our door. Scared my husband and i so badly. hehehe!

So take dad into the house and we go into the living room and he tells me his tales of where he's been and who he was with. I made a very strong pot of coffee to settle in for the long hall which for the past 3 weeks this has become the norm. I talked him into reclining in the chair and me on the couch next to him. He didn't get up the whole nite, but the chatter was kidda interesting and funny. Good thing my family laughs about things to get through things.

so i did get some sleep last nite and i'am feeling alittle bit better today and dad is in his bed for now.

Today i need to tackle the Veteran's for help. This should be fun. They won't tell you about programs or things that are avaible to you unless you find them. Well Susie has found one lol today i will fight for my dad like he did for the U.S.A. in WW 2. I can't wait to go to my first support group i need others. This is a gift and i will continue to feel this way untill the end opps there goes dad now got to go.

Linda

10/11/07 4:55pm

Hi Again Susie:

Sounds like you have your hands full; but thank goodness you and family seem to have good relationship. You have to laugh sometimes before it turns into crying.

Good luck with the Veterans Administration. Is there an Office on Aging in your town or county? They might be able to offer some suggestions for help. Hang in there.

Linda

Val

11/ 9/07 11:19pm

Linda,

I'm no doctor, and I'm not sure what you're describing, but if your mom is 'acting out' while she's asleep, it could be an evidence of REM sleep behavior disorder, which is a very treatable sleep disorder that often precedes or accompanies some neurodegenerative diseases such as Lewy Body Dementia. A sleep test and exam with a skilled neurologist who is familiar with such disorders would be what would help you identify what's wrong.

Linda

11/10/07 4:28pm

Val:

I thank you so much for taking the time to respond. You might be right; but honestly, I'm pretty much done with doctors and tests. None of it has truly helped very much. Things seem to have calmed down over last month - though I have no idea why. But I'm grateful it has. She's now mainly sleepy, lethargic, and "lifeless". Just another phase I'll have to resign myself to. But as we all know, it's hard to see.

Linda

Sleep Induced Hallucinations

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