Do Alzheimer’s Patients Sleep More? | Sleep Changes

Family members often notice that a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease seems to spend longer in bed or doze through the day. That shift in sleep can feel worrying and raise hard questions about what lies ahead.

Do Alzheimer’s Patients Sleep More As Disease Progresses?

Many studies and caregiver reports show that people living with Alzheimer’s often sleep more than before, especially in the middle and later stages of the disease. When families ask, “do alzheimer’s patients sleep more?” the honest answer is usually yes, but the pattern is rarely smooth.

Instead of one long block of deep, refreshing sleep at night, sleep becomes lighter and more broken. Night waking, early rising, and long daytime naps can sit side by side. Over months or years the total number of hours asleep in each twenty four hour period often climbs, while alert time and activity shrink.

Stage Or Pattern	Typical Sleep Change	What Families Often Notice
Early Alzheimer’s	Slightly longer sleep or more naps	Dozing in the chair in the evening, harder time getting up in the morning
Middle Stage	Broken night sleep with more daytime sleep	Awake and restless at night, then falling asleep again after breakfast
Late Stage	Long stretches of sleep day and night	Hours spent in bed, brief awake moments, low energy for activities
Daytime Napping	Frequent short naps or long afternoon sleep	Head nodding during meals, television, or car rides
Sundowning	More confusion and agitation in the evening	Restless pacing or calling out at dusk, then sleeping late the next morning
Night Wandering	Repeated waking and walking at night	Open doors, moved items, or noise in the hallway while others try to sleep
Near End Of Life	Almost continuous sleep	Eyes closed most of the time, limited response to voices or touch

Researchers think several factors drive this shift. Alzheimer’s disease damages brain areas that keep the body awake and help control the internal clock. Studies also show that sleep itself and Alzheimer changes influence each other in both directions, with poor sleep linked to faster build up of amyloid and other proteins in the brain.

Longer sleep in later stages often reflects general decline in strength, appetite, and mobility. The brain works harder to process even simple tasks, which can leave a person worn out after short visits or meals.

Sleeping More With Alzheimer’s Disease: What It Means

Sleeping more than before can mean different things at different points in the disease. When do alzheimer’s patients sleep more, and when does extra sleep signal another medical issue that needs attention from a doctor?

In early Alzheimer’s disease, extra sleep often shows up as a little more daytime drowsiness, especially in the afternoon or evening. Some people drift off in front of the television, then find it harder to fall asleep at night. At this stage, gentle changes to routine and light exposure can help steady the sleep schedule.

In middle stages, sleep tends to swing between nights of frequent waking and days heavy with naps. Guidance from dementia charities and national institutes notes that longer sleep and more bedrest are common as brain damage spreads and the person becomes frailer. In late stages, many people with Alzheimer’s spend most of the day either asleep or in a drowsy state, as the body slows down as a whole.

Common Reasons For Increased Sleep In Alzheimer’s Disease

Brain Changes That Disrupt The Sleep Wake Cycle

Alzheimer’s disease does not only affect memory areas. It also harms parts of the brain that control alertness and the daily rhythm that tells us when to sleep and when to wake. Resources such as NIA advice on sleep problems in Alzheimer’s disease describe how common these sleep disruptions are.

Other Medical Conditions And Pain

A person with Alzheimer’s is still vulnerable to the same health problems as anyone else. Lung disease, heart failure, diabetes, thyroid problems, and many other conditions can cause fatigue and an urge to sleep more. Pain from arthritis or other long term illness can also disturb night sleep, which then leads to drowsy days.

Medication Effects

Many drugs that help with mood, anxiety, or behavior change can also cause drowsiness. Strong pain tablets, some seizure drugs, and certain allergy tablets can have the same effect, especially when several medicines are taken together over long periods.

Low Daytime Activity And Light

Many people with Alzheimer’s move less as the disease progresses. They may stop regular walks or hobbies and spend more time indoors. Lower light levels and less physical movement during the day can both weaken the internal clock, so the body does not get a strong “daytime” signal and starts to drift toward napping.

Practical Ways To Handle Sleep Changes

Track Sleep Patterns Over Several Weeks

Before making big changes, it helps to know what is happening. Many carers feel as though the person is asleep “all the time,” but a simple written log often shows patterns that are easier to work with.

Try keeping a basic sleep diary for two to three weeks. Note:

• What time the person goes to bed and gets up
• Approximate times and lengths of naps
• Night awakenings, wandering, or calling out
• Caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals in the late afternoon or evening
• Any new medicines or dose changes

This log gives doctors concrete information, and it helps families spot links such as long naps after lunch that make it harder to fall asleep at night.

Shape A Calmer Daily Routine

Routine brings a sense of safety even when memory fades. A regular pattern of waking, meals, activity, and bedtime can smooth some sleep problems and prevent the person from drifting between bed and chair through the day. As the Alzheimer’s Association information on sleep changes explains, structure through the day can ease night time confusion.

Use Light And Activity To Strengthen The Body Clock

Bright light in the morning tells the brain that daytime has started. Whenever possible, open blinds early, eat breakfast by a window, or sit outside for a short spell. Simple activities such as puzzles, music, sorting tasks, or familiar household jobs can keep the person engaged and create a clear divide between day and night.

Plan For Safety When Night Wandering Happens

Night wandering can place the person and others at risk. Locks, stair gates, motion sensors, and door alarms can help carers know when the person is up and moving. Keep floors clear of clutter, remove loose rugs, and ensure there is a safe path to the bathroom with a light that does not glare.

If night wandering is frequent or intense, discuss it with the medical team. Sudden starts or big shifts in this behavior may reflect untreated pain, infection, or side effects of medicine that need medical review.

Sleep Change You Notice	Examples Of Possible Causes*	Who To Contact First
Much more sleep over one or two days	Infection, new medicine, stroke, low blood sugar	Family doctor or out of hours service
Pauses in breathing, loud snoring, gasping at night	Possible sleep apnoea	Family doctor for assessment
Sudden agitation or shouting at night	Pain, fear, side effects of medicine	Family doctor or dementia specialist
New falls from bed or while wandering	Weak muscles, balance problems, sedating drugs	Family doctor and falls clinic if available
Almost continuous sleep with little eating or drinking	Late stage dementia, new illness, or both	Family doctor, local palliative care team
Long term insomnia with low mood	Depression, anxiety, or chronic pain	Family doctor or mental health team

*Only a health professional can confirm the cause of a sleep change. This table is a starting point for conversations, not a tool to diagnose at home.

When To Seek Urgent Medical Help

Extra sleep in Alzheimer’s disease is common, but some changes call for faster action. Contact emergency medical services or urgent care straight away if the person:

• Is hard to wake or does not respond to voice or touch
• Has new weakness on one side of the body, trouble speaking, or a drooping face
• Shows new chest pain, severe shortness of breath, or blue lips or fingers
• Has a high fever with shaking, confusion, or fast breathing
• Falls and may have broken a bone or hit their head

For less urgent concerns, such as a steady rise in daytime napping over weeks, raise the change at the next appointment with the doctor or memory clinic. Bring your sleep notes so the team can see patterns and decide whether tests, medicine changes, or referrals to a sleep clinic are needed.

Living With Changing Sleep Patterns In Alzheimer’s Disease

Sleep changes are one of the hardest parts of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease. Extra naps and long nights can reduce chances for conversation and shared activity, and broken sleep leaves carers exhausted as well.

Knowing that longer sleep is common as the disease advances, yet still watching for sudden shifts or worrying symptoms, allows families to balance acceptance with alertness. Small steps with light, routine, and activity can make a real difference for some people, even when the illness is advanced.

Carers deserve rest and help too. Share sleep concerns with medical teams, ask about local respite services, and involve other family members or friends where possible so that no one person carries the entire load through the night and day.