Why Do Dementia Patients Sleep So Much?
Dementia patients oversleeping is the direct result of brain cell damage during the later stages of this disease.
What Is Dementia?
Dementia is the decline of cognitive functioning — remembering, thinking, and reasoning — to such degree that it interferes with an individual’s day-to-day life and activities. Many people with dementia cannot keep their emotions under control, and their personalities could change. Dementia ranges in intensity from the most minimal stage, as it is just starting to impact an individual’s functioning, to the most intense stage, when the individual is required to rely completely on others for basic activities of day-to-day living, like feeding themselves.
Dementia impact millions of people across the globe and is more typical as people get older (around 1/3rd of all individuals aged eighty-five or older may have some type of dementia) but it is not a typical part of getting older. A lot of individuals live into their nineties and beyond devoid of any signs of dementia.
There are several various forms of dementia, like Alzheimer’s, namely the most common.
Why Do People With Dementia Sleep So Much?
Oversleeping is quite common in the later and end-stages of dementia. Of course, a healthy sleeping schedule is crucial for seniors, so it’s important for loved ones to support proper sleeping patterns.
As dementia progresses, brain damage becomes excessive. This makes individuals feel weak and frail over time. Executive function changes in the frontal lobe of the brain may result in a lack of motivation, which can appear to be apathy from the outside looking in. This can make easy tasks like talking, feel exhausting to the individual with dementia.
People suffering from dementia can also experience dramatic changes in their circadian rhythm or the sleep-wake cycle. This ultimately works against quality of sleep. The brain’s internal clock always tells us when to sleep and when to be alert. Individuals with dementia often have impaired brain cells related to sleep cycles. This can result in sleeping excessively during the day but less at night.
What Are The Seven Stages Of Dementia?
Stage 1: The first stage is characterized by healthy people experiencing no signs of memory loss or dementia.
Stage 2: Stage 2 includes people who consistently forget things, usually caused by aging. Symptoms are generally mild and rarely noticed by friends or loved ones.
Stage 3: This stage includes increased forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating, among other things. Stage 3 can last up to 7 years before onset of early stage dementia.
Stage 4: Stage 4 is considered “early dementia.” People suffering in stage 4 will have trouble remembering recent activities/events and increased difficulty concentrating. Decreased self worth and a decline in social interaction are usually included in this stage, as well.
Stage 5: The 5th stage features individuals with major memory deficiencies. Basic activities, such as bathing and dressing, may require some help. Memory loss may include trouble recalling major life events. This stage tends to last up to 18 months long.
Stage 6: Middle stage dementia, also known as stage 6, has individuals who need extensive help with daily activities. Forgetting big events, and family/friends’ names can be included in this stage. Anxiety, delusional beliefs, agitation and personality changes will be on display. Stage 6 can last 2.5 years.
Stage 7: Seniors will have no ability to communicate during late stage dementia. They will require 24/7 care at this stage in life. Typically, the final stage can last another 2.5 years long.
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