Caring for a loved one with dementia can be a heart-breaking task that takes its toll on both patient and caregiver. In front of your eyes, someone you know and love turns into a shadow of their former selves, becomes confused and agitated, and eventually slips away altogether.
Many dementia patients struggle to get a good night’s sleep. They either struggle to get to sleep, wake up halfway through the night scared and confused, or both. It is a challenge for them and their caregivers. Melatonin supplements might be an answer to help with this problem.
What is melatonin?
Evaluating the relationship between melatonin and dementia requires understanding what the substance is and its potential benefits. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone found in the human body. Melatonin helps your body respond to darkness by going to sleep and light by waking up. It helps to regulate sleeping patterns, also known as circadian rhythms. Healthy circadian rhythms make falling asleep and getting quality sleep easier.
Melatonin is currently the subject of research to determine its other beneficial effects on the human body. Several small studies have rendered interesting results that certainly require additional investigation. Among them are indications that melatonin might supplement cancer treatments, although understanding how and why is in its infancy. Nothing suggests they can replace these treatments, and patients should always consult a doctor when adding supplements to their treatment regime.
Dementia and sleeping problems
According to medical estimates, up to 25% of patients with mild dementia experience sleep disturbances, while the figure goes up to 50% in more severe cases. Dementia is a progressive condition, gradually worsening as time passes. As it does so, sleep challenges will increase. They are characterized by frequent awakenings and waking up prematurely in the morning.
Sundowning is a common feature of dementia. It happens during the early evening and at night. During sundowning, dementia symptoms, such as confusion, anxiety, and aggression, worsen. Wandering during a sundowning episode is dangerous as the patient could get lost, harm themselves, or present a danger to others.
Should someone with dementia leave home in this state, they could encounter people who intend them harm or end up in a situation where the police are called to help them. Since no one will know that the person has dementia, their erratic behavior might be considered dangerous. Another common occurrence in dementia patients is sleep apnea, which causes them to stop breathing for a few seconds before resuming. This causes an increased strain on the heart muscles and amplifies depression, memory loss, and confusion.
Taking melatonin
Despite being a hormone and officially classified as a supplement, adding melatonin to a patient’s treatment program should not be considered without consulting their primary physician or geriatrician. Melatonin may present an adverse interaction with other drugs they have prescribed. Limited evidence suggests that melatonin could help alleviate a dementia patient’s sleeping difficulties as research is in its infancy, as mentioned before. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that it can ease disrupted sleeping patterns caused by dementia. A much deeper investigation is needed to determine the actual effects of melatonin on dementia patients, and whether the positives outweigh any negatives.
Other schools of thought believe that melatonin will make no significant difference in a dementia patient’s sleep patterns. Some go further and suggest that it could do more harm than good. Therefore, trying it out without due consideration and consultation with medical professionals is not recommended.
Deal with the cause
Most sleep pattern disturbances have an underlying cause, and this is no exception in dementia patients. Instead of trying to treat the symptom, address what is causing it. Medical conditions like depression, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome can interfere with quality sleep. Medications used to treat them can cause sleeplessness as a side effect, and taking them at a different time could settle the problem. So can stimulants, such as caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Taking long naps during the day can also prevent a good night’s sleep.
An established sleep routine set in a peaceful setting prepares a dementia patient’s body for sleep. Relaxing music or a warm bath might be what they need to induce sleep. Ensure that the dementia patient’s bed, bedding, and sleepwear are comfortable as discomfort could cause them to wake.
Sleep-inducing medication
Dementia patients often take many different medications, making doctors and caregivers reluctant to add more to the mix by introducing sleep-inducing drugs. They can result in an increased risk of falling and becoming confused.
However, failing other alternatives, insomnia medications might be the only solution. Doctors prefer that dementia patients only take them for a short period until they regain a healthy sleep pattern and no longer need them. Such medications are habit-forming, and people develop a dependency on them. Medical professionals will avoid having this becoming the case with a dementia patient.