Moderate Alzheimer's, Frequent Resting and Napping

If you have the ones with the pink backing they're terrific, aren't they? I bless the person who first mentioned then somewhere.

Let it go. Let your husband's body dictate what it needs. Be grateful for the time to yourself. I am reminded of raising our daughters and how grateful I was when they were taking a nap, so I could catch my breath. I get up much earlier than my husband and go to bed later; I cherish that time to myself.

I have given into my husband's sleep schedule as well. My problem is getting him to GO to sleep even with Melatonin. Sometimes it kicks in within 30 minutes and other times it doesn't seem to work at all because he's still awake at 3am. His neurologist told me about how the brain needs to "rewire" as well, And how he doesn't have to remember or anything like that when he's sleeping so I just let him sleep. Sometimes its 12-16 hours a day. His med schedule gets kinda wonky from time to time and his dr. knows that and she said just to do the best I can with all this. His wonky sleep patterns, medication taking and now the no nonsense noises he makes has been going on for a good 8 months and I hope to get some advise on how to handle these issues next week when we go to his appt. My main frustration is how it takes him soooo long to fall asleep because I can't get to sleep with all his noises he makes. He's lost interest in a lot of things so there isn't too much stimulation and I know that without any stimulation throughout the day, he's not tired when it comes to bedtime (10pm). I am very tired on a daily basis cuz I'm not getting the sleep I need to be the best caregiver I can be for him.

I am curious about the noises your husband makes. My husband kind of moans or sighs loudly when trying to fall asleep. Actually even when just sitting and watching TV sometimes. Is that what your hearing? Makes it very hard for me to get any good sleep. I'm tired too.

Moaning and humming and whistling and some whining are the noises he's making when trying to fall asleep AND when just sitting around. Sounds like we're experiencing the same thing 🙁 These no-nonsense noises (for lack of a better description) and sometimes seeing things or people can be signs of delirium from what i have read so these are all things i'm going to bring up at his appt in a couple of weeks. The other night I tried something different.... I got him all settled into bed and I did laundry at 11pm, worked on a hobby and watched some late nite tv. And when I checked on him a couple hours later, he was sound asleep and I was able to go to bed in silence and I got a great nite sleep. So i may have to change my schedule just to get some sleep 😉

Mine does this too. I bought an iEasy white noise machine that I keep on y side of the bed. It has 30 different sounds, including rain, soft music, campfire, and fan and has volume control. I would be able to hear him if he called out, but the groans, moans and sighs are barely audible and I'm finally sleeping well. My birthday present to myself!

I'm assuming you don't feel comfortable going to sleep first and leaving him awake. No telling what shenanigans he might get into. The number of hours my husband (ALZ) clocks is astounding compared to my measly 7-8 hours if I'm lucky. He goes to bed by 9p, up for breakfast about 10am and then goes back to bed. Yesterday he didn't get up until after 3pm. He has no trouble going to sleep. The only RX he takes is mirtazapine, an antidepressant. I'm not sure if it is his brain needing to be reset; or he just doesn't see any reason to be up. He has lost all interest in any activities. He always slept way longer than I did; but this is extreme. I've been having some pressure about moving him to a memory care facility. He tells me he is happy here and feels he has had a busy day even though he hasn't. I'm staying the course for now. I think your feeling tired is more about the emotional drain this disease puts on the caretaker than the number of sleeping hours. This is tough sledding.

For the past couple of months my husband has stopped sleeping for long stretches. Doesn't even nap during the day, which I always looked forward to.

We're now up and down every hour or two going to the bathroom. Sometimes he has to go, but mostly just sits there for a few minutes then calls for me to help him back to bed.

Very confused all night and all day about where we are. We're home.

He sounds fairly well on the phone with friends and family. How is it only I see him at his worst?

My husband was diagnosed with dementia in May 2023. He sleeps at least 10 hours nightly; sometimes will wake up earlier & decide to go back to bed. Then he’ll take a 3 or 4 hour nap in the afternoon. I figured he needs that much sleep so I leave him alone. He seems to do better mentally when he sleeps that much.

You've hit the nail on the head with alot of what you mention here, especially about the emotional drain this is taking. I toured a memory care facility a short time ago and have decided NOT to place him and getting in-home care instead. It it is mainly for respite care. My Tom (63 years old) tells me he's happy here also, and i'm the bestest 😉 I've had to adjust to ALOT and will keep doing so as long as I can, and his sleep patterns are just another adjustment that we just keep moving along with. I am so glad to have this platform to share with and get advice or just say what's on our mind. Because a lot of us I'm sure have gone through or going through a lot of what is being posted here and I am so thankful for this community! I am only 59 and never thought I would have to be going through this at my age.
I appreciate you as a (struggling) caregiver AND the Mayo Clinic for allowing us to share with other caregivers.
Strength and Courage