Sundown Syndrome, also known as sundowning, is a fairly common “clinical phenomenon” which has no exact definition. It most commonly appears in the elderly with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, and usually occurs in the late evenings and at night. The causes and range of symptoms of Sundown Syndrome are still being debated, but several symptoms, behaviors, risk factors, treatments, and methods of prevention have been identified. People should become more aware of the symptoms of sundowning so that they can recognize such behaviors in their own relatives.
Symptoms and Behaviors Sundowning is a syndrome that patients with a memory-impairing illness have a common set of behaviors. These types of symptoms and behaviors that show in people that …show more content…
One of the factors is “disordered circadian rhythm” in patients who suffer from dementia (khachiyants, 2011). These changes, called sleep-wake cycles, can bring about vivid dreams even hallucinations, causing them to wake up often and abruptly. The suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN, located in the part of the brain that controls sleep, deteriorates in patients with Alzheimer's. This break down adds to the problems with the sleep-wake cycle and leads to confusion, irritation, and other sundowning symptoms. Also helping regulate circadian rhythm is the hormone melatonin, which is produced in the pineal gland during sleep. Melatonin levels are decreased in patients with alzheimer's, further affecting their sleep cycles. There are other sleep disorders that can result in sundowning …show more content…
One effective treatment to ease nighttime confusion and extreme behaviors is light therapy. By “placing a full-spectrum fluorescent lamp (between 2,500 and 5,000 lux) about 1 meter from the sundowning patient within his or her visual field for a couple hours in the morning...,” the patient’s circadian rhythm may change favorably. (Khachiyants) The benefits of light therapy can also be attained by simply turning on bright lights while the patient participates in leisurely activities such as reading or watching television. Phototherapy not only improves elderly cognitive functioning, but also “improves sleep quality and sundowning episodes in the patients suffering from sundowning syndrome and problems with sleep maintenance” (ASSAD). Overall, a well-lit room in the evening hours can significantly aid the patient’s neurologically weakened brain in readjusting to a normal circadian
Symptoms and Behaviors Sundowning is a syndrome that patients with a memory-impairing illness have a common set of behaviors. These types of symptoms and behaviors that show in people that …show more content…
One of the factors is “disordered circadian rhythm” in patients who suffer from dementia (khachiyants, 2011). These changes, called sleep-wake cycles, can bring about vivid dreams even hallucinations, causing them to wake up often and abruptly. The suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN, located in the part of the brain that controls sleep, deteriorates in patients with Alzheimer's. This break down adds to the problems with the sleep-wake cycle and leads to confusion, irritation, and other sundowning symptoms. Also helping regulate circadian rhythm is the hormone melatonin, which is produced in the pineal gland during sleep. Melatonin levels are decreased in patients with alzheimer's, further affecting their sleep cycles. There are other sleep disorders that can result in sundowning …show more content…
One effective treatment to ease nighttime confusion and extreme behaviors is light therapy. By “placing a full-spectrum fluorescent lamp (between 2,500 and 5,000 lux) about 1 meter from the sundowning patient within his or her visual field for a couple hours in the morning...,” the patient’s circadian rhythm may change favorably. (Khachiyants) The benefits of light therapy can also be attained by simply turning on bright lights while the patient participates in leisurely activities such as reading or watching television. Phototherapy not only improves elderly cognitive functioning, but also “improves sleep quality and sundowning episodes in the patients suffering from sundowning syndrome and problems with sleep maintenance” (ASSAD). Overall, a well-lit room in the evening hours can significantly aid the patient’s neurologically weakened brain in readjusting to a normal circadian