Experts explained how a symptom of dementia can hit in the afternoon and evening (Image: Getty)
A “common” symptom of dementia could occur in the afternoon and evening. Experts warned that this lesser-known warning sign of the condition could lead to “anxiety and agitation”.
Dementia is a syndrome, or a group of associated symptoms, linked to the progressive deterioration of the brain. Though many of us might be aware of certain issues that come with dementia, such as memory loss, others are lesser-known.
Sundowning is one such problem. According to Dementia UK, it is a “common symptom” thought to affect around 20% of dementia patients.
On its website, the charity said: “Sundowning is a common symptom of dementia.
« It causes feelings of intense confusion, anxiety and agitation, typically in the late afternoon and evening, around dusk.
Almost one million people in the UK are thought to be living with dementia (Image: Getty)
“It is thought to affect about 20% of people with dementia, often due to tiredness, unmet needs (like hunger or pain), a lack of daytime activity or natural light or environmental changes. Sundowning can often be managed using strategies that include identifying triggers and patterns for the person’s anxiety, using calming techniques and distraction, and maintaining a consistent daily routine.”
Why does sundowning happen?
There are many possible reasons why sundowning may occur. These include:
- Tiredness
- The person having unmet needs that they cannot express, eg hunger or thirst
- being in physical pain
- A lack of activity or exposure to natural light during the day
- Overstimulation during the day, such as being in a noisy, busy environment
- Hormonal changes towards the end of the day
- Medication side effects
- Changes in the person’s body clock that occur in some types of dementia, such as Lewy body dementia
- Environmental changes like streetlights coming on or people settling in for the evening, which can trigger a sense of being in the wrong place
- The person’s family members being tired and less able to meet their needs
- Fewer care staff being on shift in a care home to support the person
What are the signs and symptoms of sundowning?
Confusion
Dementia UK said: “Sundowning often makes a person with dementia feel very strongly that they are in the wrong place. They might say they need to go home, even if they are at home, or think they need to pick their children up from school, even if they are now adults. They might believe they have to go to work, even if they are retired.
“The person might become confused about who people are or what is going on around them. They might ask the same questions repeatedly, for example, ‘When will you take me home?’”
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“The sense of intense confusion that comes with sundowning typically makes the person with dementia feel very unsettled and anxious,” it said.
Dementia UK said: “A person who is sundowning might show agitated behaviour such as restlessness, fidgeting (for example plucking at their clothes or skin), irritability, shouting or arguing. They might follow a family member, pace or walk around – this might seem aimless, but they may be trying to fulfil a need like finding someone they remember or getting something to eat.
“They might put their shoes and coat on and try to leave their home.”
For more advice, including how to support someone who is experiencing sundowning, visit the Dementia UK website here. If you or someone you know is displaying signs of dementia, you should speak to a GP.
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