Sundowning is increased confusion that people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia may experience from dusk through night. People who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease may witness some changes in their physical and emotional being during the late afternoon or early evening. It is also called ‘sundowner’s syndrome’. It is not a disease but a set of symptoms or dementia-related behaviors that may include difficulty sleeping, anxiety, agitation, hallucinations, pacing and disorientation.
According to the Mayo Clinic, ‘the term ‘sundowning’ refers to a state of confusion occurring in the late afternoon and lasting into the night. Sundowning can cause different behaviours, such as confusion, anxiety, aggression or ignoring directions. Sundowning can also lead to pacing or wandering.’
Symptoms:
Restlessness
Irritable
Agitation
Disoriented
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Risk Factors That May Trigger Sundowning:
Fatigue
Spending a day in an unfamiliar place
Low lighting
Increased shadows
Disruption of the body’s internal clock
According to World Health Organisation (WHO) Dementia is a syndrome – usually of a chronic or progressive nature – that leads to deterioration in cognitive function (i.e. the ability to process thought) beyond what might be expected from the usual consequences of biological ageing. Dementia results from a variety of diseases and injuries that primarily or secondarily affect the brain, such as Alzheimer’s disease or stroke.
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behaviour.
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