This Sunday, March 31st, the clocks go forward by one hour, which marks the start of longer, brighter days, for another six months before they go back an hour again.
For some of us, this is a welcome change. The start of spring can mean fresh, new beginnings and shaking off the mental cobwebs that were woven during long winter days.
However, for those that live with dementia, this can be an incredibly disorienting change, according to Alzheimer’s Society.
This is because, as our days get longer and brighter, people living with dementia may find it harder to differentiate between 6am and 6pm. This disrupts their natural circadian rhythm and make it hard for them, and those who care for them, to ensure they get enough sleep.
Of course, losing sleep can lead to irritability, tiredness, and sometimes even distress.
How to help people with dementia through clock changes
Alzheimer’s Society explained how to help people living with dementia through these changes, to ensure minimal disruption and distress.
Start making changes from Saturday
Consider starting your evening a little earlier on Saturday, having dinner and going to bed an hour earlier. This will ensure that the person you’re caring for still gets enough sleep and can wake up at their usual time on Sunday. Alzheimer’s Society state that this will mean the person’s routine will only be different for an evening rather than the whole day.
Try to keep a regular routine
According to Alzheimer’s Society, having a regular routine during the day and at bedtime can help to regulate a disrupted body clock. It helps if these are associated with other everyday tasks such as going for a walk after breakfast. Doing this consistently will help a person with dementia to make sense of the time.
Get outside, if you can
Gentle exercise during the day can help the person feel sleepier during the evening, meaning they’ll go to bed at their usual time.
Alzheimer’s Society urges that if this isn’t an option, keeping them active during the day can have a similar effect and using blackout curtains to reduce sunlight in the evenings can help with body clock regulation, too.
Try to only use auto-setting clocks
Using clocks that automatically changed to the correct time, removes the need for resetting clocks and watches manually, reassuring and benefitting people with dementia.
Alzheimer’s Society also recommend ‘Day and Night’ clocks which are just like standard clocks but with visual symbols to help people with dementia distinguish the time of day.
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