why is 4 til 7 such a difficult time for people with alzheimers? i know it is common and termed 'sun downing' but even with the clocks going back it is still 4 - 7! what causes this agitation? Thanks
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10/28/09 9:51am
Hi Caz4
There is a lot of discussion into exactly what sundowning is and whether it really exists. Certainly it is a common experience for many caregivers and so the causes for it will be different for different people.
One major cause of 'sundowning' may be that people with Alzheimer's disease, and many other forms of dementia, are often at their best earlier in the day. As the day progresses the person's memory and ability to carry out tasks can deteriorate. As their skills deteriorate agitation and confusion may increase leading to the increased levels of problematic behavior.
Caregiver exaustion also increases as the day progresses and we all know that makes it more difficult to cope and be flexable in our interations.
I have written a sharepost called What is sundowning? that may be helpful and give you some ideas.
Hope this is of help
Christine
10/27/09 7:16pm
Sundowning is from sunset. 4 pm is about sunset time although the day light may still be strong. I am not sure how the clock in their mind works. For my FIL, it starts at 4pm until he goes to bed. I figure that it has been a long day until 4pm...
It includes a cloudy or rainy day when the sky is grey.
Please check the websites like alz.org for details on sundowning.
Regards,
Nina
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Thank-you for the information on sundowning - my mother is ALWAYS agitated during this time period, and we did not realize that there was an associated term relating to the timeliness of this agitation.