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Any tips on how to avoid the 4-times-per-night bathroom trips?
My client does not have Dementia, and requires assistance to the potty. We have a baby monitor on her, and darned if I don't hear "Ruuuuuuth" every two hours at night. She's so cute and pleasant, it's impossible to get mad. But... goodness! Seriously? Every two hours? When I'm off duty, at home, I sometimes jump out of bed to help someone to the potty out of habit. :-)
When she gets up, we discuss what dreams we just had. Maybe it's just too much fun getting up. Maybe I should be cranky. Nah!

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I sometimes go every two hours, and I'm only 56, so it's not abnormal. If she wakes up that often because she is not sleeping soundly, it might make her a little nervous to be waking up, so, she may go out of nervousness. Sometimes they are afraid at night, so they don't sleep soundly. Sometimes, they do sleep so soundly that when they do wake up, they don't know where they are at, what time of day it is, or if they have taken their meds. Or, if she takes a water pill at night, this should be given in the morning. My relative does not have dementia, sleeps soundly, can get out of bed by herself, and when she does wake up in the middle of the night, she is wet. So she goes to the bathroom and takes off her Depend brief, and leaves it on the bathroom floor (she is not permitted to bend down to pick things off the floor to deposit in waste basket because she can fall). So,it's a good thing that she wakes up before she has to go. I have no suggestions, just these comments.
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Avoid any fluids after 6PM. Make sure she use the bathroom before bed time.Replace with either apple, apple sauce, fruits, no watermelon. Anxiety could be another problem, overeactive bladder(that can be treated), UTI. cystitis,low or high potassium level,etc So, you can let her PMD know about it and see what you can do to help her. Going to the bathroom as often as you mention is not OK because they have disturbed sleeping and sometimes they can get very difficult to deal the next day.
I hope it helps.
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Thank you for the comments. Having recently lost her husband, she is reluctant to go to bed before 10:30 or so. So we do use the bathroom after 10pm, but she also takes 2 Tylenol between 9 and 10, with a large glass of water. She's super easy going and very easy to care for - the only thing interruped nights seem to bring on is naps! But for me... no nap possible!
I appreciate the feedback!
Ruth
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If the 2 Tylenols are a nightly ritual and she needs the large glass of water to manage them, then switching to a liquid form would probably reduce the water requirement to a small mouth-rinsing sip and then save you one or more bathroom trips.
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