Sleep is essential for brain cell health, learning and memory — especially for someone diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer’s damages and kills brain cells. Without healthy brain cells, a brain shrinks and wastes away.
The most recent research connects brain cell death to a build up of a substance called tau protein. While we’re awake, our brains produce tau protein. Brain cells use tau protein to stay healthy. Our bodies have a natural balancing system for tau protein production: during sleep, our brains clear out any unused tau protein.
Without quality sleep, unused tau proteins accumulate in the brain. While tau protein is good for brain cells, too much of it interferes with the cell’s nutrient transport system. Tau protein build up in Alzheimer’s patients starves and kills the brain cells they need for learning and memory.
Alzheimer’s Medications & Sleep Side Effects
Alzheimer's medications can have side effects that affect sleep in negative ways. If you're loved one is taking medications that impact their sleep, tell your doctor.
Donepezil (Brand Name: Aricept®)
Common side effects include: trouble sleeping, unusual tiredness or weakness.
Less common side effects include: abnormal dreams and drowsiness.
Rare side effects include: increased urge to urinate during the night.
To see the manufacturer's list of all side effects, click here.
Rivastigmine (Brand Name: Exelon®)
No sleep side effects listed in manufacturer’s literature.
To see the manufacturer's list of all side effects, click here.
Galantamine (Brand Name: Razadyne®)
Less common side effects include: unusual drowsiness, dullness, tiredness, weakness, or feeling of sluggishness.
Rare side effects include: unusually deep sleep or unusually long duration of sleep.
To see the manufacturer's list of all side effects, click here.
Memantine (Brand Name: Namenda®)
Less common side effects include: insomnia, restlessness, sleepiness or unusual drowsiness, tiredness, trouble with sleeping and unusual tiredness or weakness.
To see the manufacturer's list of all side effects, click here.
What Family Caregivers Can Do
Prioritize Sleep
Make sleep a top priority. Quality sleep contributes to energy, mood, strength, and most importantly, brain health. Our bodies are designed to heal themselves with automatic processes that return us to normal functioning. Many of these processes occur at night during sleep. One of the best ways to nurture brain health at home is getting consistent, quality sleep.
Bedtime Routine
Stick to a bedtime routine. A bedtime routine includes the things you do every night before you go to bed. They are generally done in the same order and at roughly the same time each night. Your loved one's routine can include supportive things like not eating 2-3 hours before bed. Going to sleep on an empty stomach can keep late night digestion from interfering with quality sleep. Their routine can include practical things like going to bed at the same time every night, brushing their teeth, and washing their face, or relaxing things like listening to music just before going to sleep.
Bedtime routines automatically signal our brains that it’s time to go to sleep. These familiar tasks can also reduce negative feelings and/or anxiety around bedtime.
Sleep Oasis
To support quality sleep, create a sleep oasis. Concentrate on things within your control:
- TEMPERATURE: Optimize the temperature — not too cold or warm.
- COMFORT: Check that pajamas are not too tight or too hot.
- LIGHT: Limit bright light with shades or curtains, and by dimming lights.
- NOISE: Reduce noise inside and outside their bedroom.
- NO TECH: Keep tech devices (e.g.: smartphones, etc.) in another room.
- PREPARE: Keep an extra blanket handy in case temperatures drop.
Sleep Journal
Keep a sleep journal to monitor your loved one's sleep each night. Monitoring sleep is the easiest way to know if someone's getting enough sleep.
In the early stages of Alzheimer’s, caregivers can make sleep monitoring be a simple question, “How did you sleep last night?” Really listen and record what your loved one says. Record bedtime, waking time and total sleep hours, and any comments (e.g.: “I slept like a rock”). While we all think we’ll remember the details, writing things down guarantees it.
Get Sunshine
Getting sunshine during the day helps people sleep at night. Increase your loved one’s exposure to light within the first hour of waking. This can be as simple as sitting in the backyard, or on the front porch for 15 minutes. Don’t wear sunglasses. Light helps establish healthy sleep cycles as it enters the eyes. Spend time near windows or in rooms with lights on during the day.
Stay Active
Staying active during the day makes it easier to sleep at night. Every type of activity — whether it's physical, mental, or social — expends energy.
Keep your loved off the couch, away from the television and active during the day. Physical activities can be a simple walk after meals, or a walk around the local mall. Mental activities can include anything that makes them “think” — like helping with chores, grocery shopping or preparing meals. Socializing with family and friends helps people with Alzheimer's do something familiar, feel included and stay connected.
