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Real members of myALZteam have posted questions and answers that support our community guidelines, and should not be taken as medical advice. Looking for the latest medically reviewed content by doctors and experts? Visit our resource section.

My Father Is Sleeping Until The Afternoon. Is That Normal For Alzheimer’s?

A myALZteam Member asked a question 💭
Pewaukee, WI
July 6, 2022
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Answer Summary

Members shared that sleeping until the afternoon or taking long daytime naps is very common for people with Alzheimer's, though sleep patterns... Read more

Members shared that sleeping until the afternoon or taking long daytime naps is very common for people with Alzheimer's, though sleep patterns vary widely from person to person and change over time. Several members found that naps help with mental clarity and managing the demands of caregiving, while others discussed the difficulty of balancing sleep schedules and the limited guidance neurologists can provide beyond medications. A recurring theme was accepting the unpredictable nature of the disease, finding support in the community, and making peace with the fact that each day brings its own challenges.

A myALZteam Member

If your question is “do most ALZ patients sleep until the afternoon.”, then the answer is “No.” (since there is always a “however”) However, the range of sleeping patterns for ALZ patients varies tremendously and the sleeping patterns change over time.

I realize I haven’t given you any useful information since there is no norm for sleep time among ALZ patients. Perhaps a better question is “should I be concerned if my husband sleeps until the afternoon?” My answer is, again, “No.” My wife sleeps a solid 8 hours each night and still manages naps of 2 hours or more during the daytime. However, my wife takes prescription narcotics to help her sleep.

Perhaps you could keep a log of your husband’s sleep time over a one week period and present that log to your husband’s specialist (neurologist?) for review.

July 6, 2022
A myALZteam Member

Having the disease I find taking naps makes my mind clearer. So for me naps are a very good thing

August 25, 2022
A myALZteam Member

My partner sleeps usually until noon and often naps In the afternoon. It seems to be part of the disease
ramifications.

August 21, 2022
A myALZteam Member

I find that if my husband takes naps, he's ready to get up at 5:30 in the morning, which means I have to, too.
I try to squeeze a nap in when he does, but I have so many things to take care of, I mostly don't GRT to it.

July 13, 2022
A myALZteam Member

Agree. Really there is very little, if anything, that can be done for Alzheimer's patients.

July 9, 2022

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