Elderly parent gets agitated/panicked at night. Sleep aid?

[Anonymous]

Elderly parent is fine for the most part all day then gets agitated and panicked in the evening. It’s a rough several hours until they finally go to sleep.

They currently have a very low dose oxy for pain (following a fall) which seems to help them sleep, but it’s not a long term solution, right?

Anyone else navigated this? What can be prescribed to help them relax and sleep?

[Anonymous]

You could try melatonin, but the best thing you can do is talk to a gerontologist.

[Anonymous]

It's called sundowning, often but not necessarily associated with dementia. Second the gerontologist recommendation.

[Anonymous]

PS: research sundowning.

[Anonymous]

Yeah talk to the doc. I know they can be useless. Use this as an opportunity to seek out either a good family doctor or an aging specialist.

[Anonymous]

My mom started on melatonin recently and it seems to be helping. Definitely normal for the cognitively impaired. I watched my mom stay up from 10pm to 7am one night on the camera I have in her memory care. Got her on melatonin shortly thereafter. If she stops responding to that I’m not adverse to something stronger.

[Anonymous]

We went through a ton of different anti anxiety meds to help with sleeping along with sedatives. The anxiety pills reduced the anxiety, but keeping her asleep all night long never happened. They definitely helped with falling asleep which sounds like what you are looking for.

Re. Oxy, when mom was in hospice they were primarily concerned with comfort so opioids were never denied. I don’t know your mom’s health, but if she is near end of life, there’s no real need to stop the pain medication.

[Anonymous]

Since she's elderly, the only thing I would worry about with the oxy is constipation. But she's not going to start seeking out street drugs, so is there a real reason to wean her off?

I agree she should see a gerontologist, but she should also have a complete medication review -- how many, what doses, time of day -- and make sure that anything that gets added on for sleep won't make her too foggy the next day, increasing the risk for falls, etc. I'd ask about trazodone and gabapentin, but I'd also make sure that nothing is being prescribed in super-heavy/inappropriate doses.

[Anonymous]

Daylight and outdoor time as early in the day as possible. Then melatonin at night.

[Anonymous]

Magnesium glycinate

Either 200 mg at 4 pm and 200 mg at 8 pm

or

400 mg at 4 pm

This will reduce stress and anxiety

[Anonymous]

21:10 poster

The Magnesium glycinate will also help get a good nights sleep.

[Anonymous]

Seroquel.Helps with both falling and staying asleep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seroquel.Helps with both falling and staying asleep.

This is what the doctors put my dad on to help with agitation and issues with sleep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seroquel.Helps with both falling and staying asleep.

Do your research on this drug - it can make memory issues worse.