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ptbdutch1963 Asked October 2018

Is sleeping ALL the time a sign of end of life?

Just last Sunday she was up all day no naps - Usually gets up 1 to 3 times each night for the bathroom. Last night she slept 15 hours straight and I had to make her wake up to get to bathroom and cleaned up - then after 2 bites of breakfast right back to sleep. This is a drastic change and I am trying to get some knowledge on this.

ptbdutch1963 Oct 2018
No other signs - No Hospice. She has no UTI and isn't really depressed, she gets weekly visits from her 56 yr old son with downs syndrome and gets so excited. Today she barely spoke to him and fell asleep right the table in just minutes.
anonymous444729 Oct 2018
Is it a very deep sleep? as in difficult to rouse? Honestly, it does sound like it - 15 hours is a very long time.
A friend of mine is a Hospice nurse and has told me to just let them sleep at this point- that their body needs the sleep-
I'm no expert but in a very similar situation and trying to get all the info I can get my hands on as well.
Are you checking blood pressure at all? the lowered bp is a sign.
anonymous444729 Oct 2018
any other signs? You may be right. Is Hospice involved at all?

I am going through a similar situation but have lots of material and have been informed of what to expect. Yes, sleeping is a sign as the body gets ready for the dying process. but make sure anything else can be ruled out such as UTI, infection, depression and so on

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CarlaCB Oct 2018
In my mother's case, sleeping all the time was a sign of the end approaching, and I have read that people sleep more and more as they get closer to death. However, I'm sure there are other conditions that could account for the sleepiness too. Is your mother terminally ill? Is she in hospice? My mother was under hospice care, slowly dying of a blood cancer, and had just been released from the hospital after a life-threatening infection, when the sleeping began. She died 12 days later. However, she had an untreated cancer and a lingering infection. The sleepiness didn't come out of the blue, in other words. If it had, I would have had it investigated.
ptbdutch1963 Oct 2018
She has NO health issues and on NO meds, but dementia has kicked in bad lately, sometimes 50 years ago in her head and other times out of her mind totally. Also has gone from very talkative to barely speaking at all.
JoAnn29 Oct 2018
How old is she and what are her health problems? Where r her family?

It could be the end but could be her meds need adjustment. Is she on Hospice?
ptbdutch1963 Oct 2018
She is 98 - not on any meds at all, sometimes I give her melatonin or calms forte if her dementia kicks in at bed time. I live with her for 24 hour care.

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