“It’s common for people with Alzheimer’s to wake up very early”
– by Gina Shaw
“I think I am experiencing something called sundowning. Or the opposite of that, I’m not sure. But I know it’s common for people with Alzheimer’s to wake up very early in the morning, and that is the time when people tend to wander. I know that’s true because I experienced it with my Nana. She used to come wake me up at two in the morning looking for her children, which of course were my mother and her sisters. I find I am now in a similar situation, except because I have previous knowledge that it’s going to happen, I’m trying to rationalise why this is happening.
I’ve been awake for some time now, and it’s now five o’clock in the morning and I’m up and dressed, and ready to go out. But, obviously, nowhere to go. I am pleased that I can rationalise that anyway, but I do know that there are circumstances where some people aren’t able to do that. So I’m grateful for that. I think that it needs more attention from the professionals to see if anything can be done to alleviate it, other than obviously sedating people, which is not a good option. But at least nowadays there’s virtually 24 hour television, so I’m watching the news. Might pick up something informative.
When my Nana had this condition, and was alive, there was nothing really for her to do. She used to read but then she’d be up and dressed and wanting to go out. She often used to get on the bus to the Pier Head, when the night busses were still running. But yeah, I’m trying to rationalise things and just get on with it.”
