How the Start of Daylight Saving Time Can Impact People with Alzheimer’s

Repetition and routine are both essential for adults living with memory loss, such as the kind that occurs with Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers believe having a structured, daily plan that balances activity with rest helps people live their best quality of life despite the disease. It allows the person with memory loss to rely less on short-term memory, which is often impaired early in the disease process. That’s why changes in their daily schedule can be so tough.

How the Time Change Impacts People With Memory Loss

If you are a caregiver for a loved one who has Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia, you might have noticed that veering away from their usual daily routine can increase anxiety, restlessness, and agitation. One type of disruption you might not have considered before, however, is seasonal time changes. Those days of the year when we move the clock forward or back can be challenging.

Daylight and darkness contribute to a common condition known as Sundowner’s Syndrome. Also referred to as sundowning, it describes the symptoms and behaviors that people with the disease experience as the sun begins its descent each day. Because the time change causes a disturbance in the body’s sleep-wake cycle, it can be especially difficult for people with Alzheimer’s.

Managing Sundowner’s Syndrome

While the cause of sundowning is unknown, scientists have some theories about what contributes to it. One is that as the disease progresses, it interrupts the body’s natural circadian rhythms, which play a role in how the body and brain respond to nightfall. As a result, when most humans naturally begin to feel tired and ready for sleep, people with Alzheimer’s may not receive the cues from the brain that signal fatigue and the need for sleep. When the time change occurs in the fall and the spring, it further disrupts the body’s sleep-wake cycle.

Here are a few ideas family caregivers might find helpful to minimize sundowning symptoms all year long, including during time changes:

• Structure the day with care: When you are caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s, how you plan your day is important. Try to balance activity with rest breaks. If you notice your senior loved one tires in the late afternoon and falls asleep, rethink how you structure the early part of the day. It might be better to schedule appointments and activity in the early morning so the senior can nap in the late morning or early afternoon. If naps are taken too late in the day, it can make bedtime more challenging.
• Utilize interior lighting: Another idea is to manage the light inside your home. If you are trying to prevent your loved one from falling asleep or going to bed too early, close the blinds and turn all the inside lights on. It might help trick the body into thinking it’s still daytime. This approach might also help ease the daily transition from daytime to evening that often triggers sundowning. At best, it can help decrease agitation and pacing, which are common behaviors at the end of the day among adults with Alzheimer’s.
• Encourage gentle exercise: Most of us know fitness activities are good for managing stress and promoting better sleep. For adults with Alzheimer’s, exercise also helps prevent or reduce the restlessness and agitation commonly associated with the disease. You could try to work a 15-minute morning walk together into your daily routine. Or maybe engage in chair yoga after lunch or spend time in the garden. These are all good stress busters for adults with dementia and for their family caregivers.

Invest in a Mobile Monitoring Unit

Safety is often a concern for people with memory loss. Family members worry their loved one will wander away and be unable to call for help. One solution is to invest in a mobile monitoring unit. You can slip it into their pocket each day when they get dressed. If the senior experiences an emergency, a simple press of a button connects them with someone who can help. Call 1-844-203-5617 for more details!