People with dementia often find it hard to sleep through the night due to several changes happening in their brain and body. One major reason is that dementia disrupts the natural internal clock, called the circadian rhythm, which normally tells us when to be awake and when to sleep. In people with dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease, parts of the brain responsible for this clock get damaged. This damage causes confusion about day and night cycles, leading them to feel sleepy during the day but restless or awake at night.
Another factor is that dementia affects deep sleep stages like REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and slow-wave sleep, which are important for memory and overall restfulness. People with dementia spend less time in these restorative phases of sleep, so even if they do fall asleep at night, their rest is often fragmented or light.
Additionally, symptoms common in dementia such as anxiety, agitation (sometimes called sundowning), pain from other health problems, or difficulty communicating needs can make it harder for them to settle down at bedtime. Environmental factors like reduced exposure to natural light during the day or changes in routine can also worsen their ability to maintain a regular sleeping pattern.
Physical issues such as restless leg syndrome or discomfort from other medical conditions may add further challenges by causing nighttime restlessness. All these elements combine so that people living with dementia frequently wake up multiple times during the night or have trouble falling asleep initially.
Because of these complex reasons—brain changes disrupting internal clocks and deep sleep cycles plus emotional distress and physical discomfort—sleep becomes a struggle for many individuals with dementia. This not only affects their quality of life but also places extra stress on caregivers who support them through nights filled with waking moments.
