How to Handle Difficult Behaviors

Possible causes:

Oversleeping during the day, boredom, dementia (sundown syndrome), a vision problem

What to do:

• Monitor the person's overall sleep habits. Are there lots of catnaps by day? Does he or she rise later and later, and then stay up later?

• Don't allow your household to fall victim to an older adult's topsy-turvy schedule. Minimize naps by day by waking your loved one and initiating an activity. Turn off the TV at night.

• Create an evening routine that helps flag that it's time for sleep. Include a snack that promotes sleep, such as warm milk; play gentle music; turn down the lights around the house.

• Don't keep a TV in your loved one's room if it's viewed all night. Keep the room dark and quiet to encourage sleep.

• Mention the problem to the person's doctor. You may be asked about other signs of dementia. In extreme cases, medication may be prescribed.

• See more tactics to ease the burden of sundown syndrome.