Sundowning

 

What is sundowning?  We've all been tired and cranky in the evening.  Sundowning would be tired and cranky with all the brakes off.  Who are sundowning candidates?  People with dementia.   It's called sundowning or sundowners syndrome because it coincides with the sun going down and reduced sunlight.  

What will someone experiencing sundowners do?  I usually call it "going off the rails."  Probably the thing most likely to cause a sundowner to find themselves in a nursing home is incontinence, especially fecal.  That is hard to take.   Other symptoms are hallucinations and delusions.  Paranoia.   Sleep disturbances.  Confusion.   Weird behavior.  

I have a sundowner in my life.  I am going to figure out how to control sundowning.  I do have some ideas.   

Thinking back, I don't think Mom's dementia was the first time I saw sundowning.  I saw it in my sister also, probably to an even greater degree.   My nephew called it "going wiggy."  

So, stay tuned.