Supporting Better Rest for your Loved One with Dementia

Dementia affects sleep by damaging the brain’s internal body clock which disrupts the natural sleep-wake cycle, meaning dementia patients may experience confusion during daylight hours, increased restlessness and pacing at night when they should be winding down.

The value of routine for dementia residents is critical and implementing a sleep routine as part of this can support your loved one during different stages of dementia.

At The Bill House, we support increasing quality of life with specialist dementia care by focusing on person-centred care, ensuring your loved one receives the right level of care for their needs.

The brain-sleep connection in dementia patients

If your loved one has dementia, they may have problems with sleeping well or at the right times. Poor sleep can make the symptoms of dementia worse and have a negative impact on important brain activities, mood and physical health.

Not getting enough quality sleep can impact memory processing, meaning your loved one may experience worsened cognition, memory loss – particularly for recent events – and an inability to make new memories. Brain cleaning happens during deep sleep, where the brain’s glymphatic system clears waste, and poor sleep slows this process, allowing toxic proteins to accumulate and damage neurons further.

Poor sleep can also significantly worsen mood and anxiety in dementia patients because they struggle to regulate their emotions and cope with stress. If your loved one is not getting enough sleep, they may struggle with heightened emotional dysregulation, increased confusion and a reduced quality of life due to a decline in mental and physical health.

The impact of poor quality sleep on dementia

Since sleep is essential for brain repair, memory regulation and emotional control, it can cause dementia symptoms to worsen if your loved one is not getting enough quality sleep.

The care needs during the different stages of dementia become more demanding as the condition progresses. A lack of sleep can make caring for your loved one more difficult.

If your loved one is living with dementia and struggling to sleep at proper times, or get quality sleep every night, they may experience:

• Increased restlessness and pacing at night due to a disrupted internal body clock
• Confusion during the day due to fatigue and sensory overload
• Hallucinations caused by low light in the evening
• Communication difficulties when trying to express their needs, which manifests as restlessness or pacing

Your loved one may also experience physical discomfort, find it difficult to deal with noise and may need to nap more frequently during the day as the disease progresses and simple tasks become draining. Supporting your loved one through the later stages of dementia, particularly as tasks become harder to complete, can include building and implementing a night-time and sleep routine.

How specialist dementia care encourages healthy sleep

Navigating care with confidence is vital when supporting your loved one living with dementia. Specialist dementia care can help with supporting dementia residents through challenging behaviour, which may become more common if your loved one is experiencing a lack of sleep.

There are several benefits of residential care for those living with dementia, especially if your loved one is struggling to sleep. Carers can support people living with dementia and having difficulty with sleeping at night by:

• Establishing consistent routines
• Managing light exposure
• Encouraging daytime activities
• Creating calm environments with sensory cues
• Providing reassurance at night

From understanding the importance of hobbies and activities to occupy your loved one during the day to creating a suitable care plan for your loved one, specialist dementia care can not only support better sleep for your loved one, but improve their quality of life.

Specialist dementia care at the Bill House can support better rest for your loved one

Developing a routine which improves the sleeping pattern and quality of your loved one is essential in supporting them through the different stages of dementia.

At The Bill House, we understand the importance of caregivers providing quality care to dementia residents when it comes to better rest. Our care is focused on your loved one to ensure their night-time and sleep routine supports their brain health, as well as their mental and physical health.

Contact us to see what to expect when moving into our care home and how our facilities can support your loved one living with dementia and your family during this difficult time.