night waking
They keep waking during the night. How do I get us both some sleep?
5 min read
Dementia damages the body clock, and days spent indoors under constant electric light give it almost nothing to reset against. The changes that work are made during the day — morning daylight, a fixed wind-down, and no caffeine after midday — rather than at three in the morning.
What to try
- 1Get bright light into the morning, outdoors if possible, for at least half an hour.
- 2Keep the same bedtime and the same wind-down sequence every night — the sequence itself becomes the cue.
- 3Cut caffeine after midday, including tea, and keep daytime naps before 3pm and under 40 minutes.
- 4Leave a low night light on and make the route to the toilet obvious.
- 5If they get up, keep lights low and your voice quiet, assume the toilet first, and walk them back without starting a conversation.
What to avoid
- Turning on bright overhead lights, which signals morning and ends the night.
- Arguing at 3am about what time it is.
- Looking for the answer to a broken night in this app. Anything to do with medicines belongs with the prescriber or pharmacist who knows their situation.
- Anything stimulating at that hour, which extends the waking rather than ending it.
A wind-down that works
- Dim the lights an hour before bed and turn the television off.
- A warm milky drink, the toilet, then bed.
- A warm room, but not hot, and bedding they recognise.
- No difficult conversations or news in the evening.
How this guide was made
Written by
Written independently for Riparo. It is not copied or adapted from any organisation’s material.
Evidence checked
Every key point here has been checked against published national dementia guidance.
Reviewed by
Not clinically reviewed. No clinician has checked this guide.