'Sundowning' Is The Dementia Symptom We Don't Talk About Enough

"Sometimes, the symptoms occur quite late into the evening, said Dr. Victor Diaz, a neurologist at Orlando Health Neuroscience Institute. Approximately 1 in 5 people with dementia experience sundowning. It affects people with different forms of dementia, like Alzheimer's and Lewy body dementia, Diaz said. "Episodes can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, and in some cases, can extend into the night.""

"Sundowning is not something that a person with dementia may notice in themselves, Krowel noted. Rather, it is typically caregivers who pick up on the change in their loved one's behavior and mental state. It can happen at any stage of dementia, though it "tends to peak in the middle stages of dementia and lessens as the disease progresses," according to the Alzheimer Society of Canada."

Sundowning is a constellation of confusion and disorientation that most commonly appears in the late afternoon and early evening and can occur later into the night. About 20% of people with dementia experience sundowning, and it can affect various dementia types, including Alzheimer's and Lewy body dementia. Episodes can last from minutes to hours and sometimes persist into the night. People experiencing sundowning often feel unsafe and anxious, leading to restlessness, irritability, and sleep difficulties. Caregivers typically detect these behavioral and mental-state changes. Sundowning can occur at any dementia stage but often peaks in the middle stages. No single clear cause has been identified, and management strategies exist to help ease symptoms.

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