Managing Caregiver Anxiousness Triggered by Dementia-Associated “Sundowning” or Aggression

May 5, 2025

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By Beth Rush, Founder and Managing Editor, Physique+Thoughts Journal

When you’re a caregiver or have a liked one with dementia, Alzheimer’s illness or different dementias, you’ll often really feel confused or anxious. These emotions are frequent, particularly in the course of the interval starting at nightfall and persevering with by the evening. Throughout this era, “sundowning” usually happens in these with dementia-related situations. Calming your private anxious emotions is crucial in successfully figuring out methods to calm anxiousness in dementia sufferers throughout this time and others.

What Is Sundowning?

Sundowner’s syndrome — or sundowning — collectively describes the behaviors or signs Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers expertise from sunset and into the evening. These might embrace anxiousness, disorientation, agitation, aggression, and hallucinations, which can trigger pacing and problematic sleep. Why sundowning happens remains to be a relative thriller amongst medical specialists, however it could occur due to the illness’s development, which may trigger adjustments within the affected person’s mind.

Nationwide Anxiousness and Melancholy Consciousness Week is developing throughout Psychological Well being Consciousness Month this Might, so it’s an apt time to look at components that will contribute to sundowning. Understanding them may help you in higher understanding why the syndrome happens, managing sundowning habits, and coping with the ensuing anxiousness in your affected person or liked one whereas additionally contributing to relieving your individual.

How you can Handle Sundowning: Dealing With Its Elements

Though there’s no precise science explaining sundowning, data of dementia-related situations suggests some frequent components that might contribute. You could acknowledge a few of these components as you learn, so heed any proposed solutions on higher dealing with a dementia affected person’s stress factors and your anxiousness.

1. Exterior Stress and Frustrations

When a dementia affected person is round others who show aggression, frustration, or different stress-inducing habits, it could additionally trigger them to grow to be unsettled and confused. Whether or not it occurs within the morning or close to bedtime, it could trigger the affected person’s mind to hold the stress till one other incidence shifts it.

After such an occasion, determine an exercise that soothes the particular person. Listening to their favourite music, watching a liked film, or going by household pictures can relieve their stress and direct their considering to extra nice actions.

Lori La Bey — the founder and editor of Alzheimer’s Speaks, which is a corporation offering hope and assist for individuals dwelling with Alzheimer’s and members of the family — options “The Purple Angel Mission” amongst her web site’s record of free instructional assets. Norman McNamara — who has dementia — and Jane Moore — a care associate — devised the mission to help and assist these with all kinds of dementia and their caregivers. Accessing The Purple Coronary heart Mission or Lori’s web site will provide you with some useful options and assist you perceive and relieve your stress.

2. Physique Clock Modifications

Dementia creates confusion and should contain the affected person’s inner physique clock, relying on how the situation impacts their mind. It’s not unusual for someone with Alzheimer’s or different dementias to imagine it’s 10 am as a substitute of midnight, for instance. On the time, if a care associate encourages the affected person to fall asleep, this perception may trigger a pissed off and even aggressive response to their phrases.

On this occasion, a approach to deal with the one you love’s or affected person’s frustration or aggression is to take an outside stroll or drive to point out them that the solar is shining brightly and that it’s morning. If they will’t stroll, contemplate buying a transportable wheelchair which you can slip into the trunk of your automotive.

That means, you’ll be able to push them across the property or take them on a drive for a change of surroundings. Keep in mind, although — unfamiliar environment will be detrimental for these with dementia situations, so assess the state of affairs rigorously. When studying methods to handle sundowning, the trick is to take outdoors excursions often.

The recent, outdoors air will profit your anxiousness ranges, and out of doors environments assist to readjust your affected person’s inner clock. Must you nonetheless really feel anxious about this newest growth, you possibly can additionally go to a Reminiscence Cafe close to you. They help caring associates, members of the family, skilled care companions, and people with cognitive considerations in finding packages to assist them whereas providing understanding and recommendation by friendship.

3. Complicated Goals

Ought to individuals with Alzheimer’s or different dementias go to sleep and expertise vivid desires, they might awake disoriented and confused. When this occurs, these signs might trigger anxiousness for them and also you. Your anxious emotions might stem out of your lack of ability to calm them and relieve their stress.

The very best you are able to do is supply calm reassurance that all the pieces is ok and so they have skilled a nasty dream. Clarify their setting and that their anxious emotions are solely momentary. Enable them to tempo below supervision and keep away from arguing or elevating your voice.

Breathe deeply or depend to 10 to calm your self if crucial, and sometimes remind sufferers of the time and encourage them to return to mattress. Contact and caress them gently to calm them additional, and maybe present water or a cool water-based cordial to assist them loosen up.

One other of Lori La Bey’s initiatives is her “Dementia Fast Ideas: Recommendation for Caregivers and Sufferers” web page, which affords a summarized perception into on a regular basis care, security, way of life, and future planning for dementia caregivers. The article additionally supplies concepts in your self-care so you’ll be able to assist and do your finest for the one you love or affected person.

4. A New Atmosphere

Maybe you’ve not too long ago moved a father or mother with Alzheimer’s or different dementia into your property or admitted a brand new affected person into your care facility. Keep in mind that the transition will doubtless be troublesome for you and them, and consistently remind your self of this reality.

There can be occasions you are feeling pissed off and anxious — the one you love additionally will. Understanding just a few pointers may easy the transition and relieve your collective anxiousness:

Create a peaceful and serene dwelling area.
Implement a routine for bathing, meals, walks, TV occasions, physician’s appointments, and relaxation.
Preserve your property well-lit within the evenings to scale back the confusion, hallucinations, and shadows might trigger.
Present bigger lunches and smaller dinners.
Determine pleasing actions like calming music and show household pictures in your affected person’s room and round your property.
Make notes of the troublesome moments and what occurred earlier than them to determine the triggers.
Take common out of doors walks.
Preserve objects like automotive keys, sharp objects, and weapons in secure, inaccessible locations.
Preserve your composure in the one you love’s presence.

Managing Your Stress Will Calm Your Affected person

Your potential to reduce your anxiousness will calm the one you love’s or affected person’s aggression or sundowning durations, however doubtless gained’t get rid of them altogether. Use the obtainable assets and comply with the offered steerage to help in controlling your stress ranges throughout troublesome occasions.