Husband with middle-stage Alzheimer's is sleeping more. Should I try to get him up or let him sleep?

The fact that your husband is sleeping more could mean that the end is near, and that it's time to bring hospice on board.
My late husband towards the end of his life slept anywhere from 18-20 hours/day.
You can call the hospice agency of your choice and they will come out and do an assessment. And then they will send a nurse to your home once a week to start and aides to come bathe him at least twice a week. You will also have access to their social worker, chaplain, and volunteers, plus they will supply all needed equipment, supplies, and medications all covered 100% under your husbands Medicare.
I would just let him sleep unless he has to take any medications at a certain time.
I wish you well as you take this final journey with your husband.

"Never wake a sleeping baby or sleeping husband." This axiom has saved me a lot of trouble during my lifetime.

Your husband's sleeping could be something much worse instead, like repeatedly following you into the bathroom, turning on stove burners behind your back, or making it his personal mission to wheel the trash cans of all the neighbors into your garage before the trash truck has emptied them. Yes, these things really happen. Count your blessings!

When my dad began hospice the nurse told us there were three signs of end of life being soon, sleeping a longer, deeper than usual sleep, stopping communication, and stopping eating. It doesn’t sound like your husband is there yet, but perhaps some of the signs are starting. Let him be your guide on the sleep, if you find it better to let him sleep, do that. If you find it goes better to wake him and try for a routine, do that. I hope you’re getting breaks and rest during such a hard journey and wish you both peace

Can you tell me what benefit you think would result in your insistence he be awake for all this? You are witnesses changes that are normal and expected. It is almost always more sleep and less eating. This is really nothing you can do about the progression. I am so very sorry. Use that time as your own respite from care.

Sadly this is how things develop with Alzheimer's. My partner now is only awake to have her breakfast, lunch and dinner. As soon she has eaten wether I put her in her recliner or lay her on the bed she drops off and sleeps. I have been caring for her for over 10 years and I can see how this illness has progressed. I would just let your husband sleep.

Hi, in my opinion, those of us who aren’t there cannot be 100% sure your husband is in a dying phase. My Dad would’ve slept up to 15-20 hours a day a couple years before he died from Alzheimer’s if we let him.

—Thankfully we took him for an assessment. They said he had no clinical signs of dying but that many patients are suffering from DEPRESSION which is often overlooked. So I got him up every morning which he grumbled about but then did have some enjoyable moments.
—Consider taking your hubby outside for fresh air, even just to sit, or for a ride in the car. This energized my Dad. He’d be dozing off, but once he GOT OUT of the house he was awake and more alert. Does anything seem to interest or activate or brighten up your husband?

Note: There still is a person who is possibly suffering underneath those symptoms of Dementia. Sadly they can no longer really help themselves. Of course all this requires more effort and time AND I was already exhausted. So I had to start asking for help from other family members, even young adult nieces & nephews!

I found asking for SPECIFIC help worked out better. For example “Can you come for a visit once a week to take your Uncle outside for an hour AND then stay another hour to eat lunch with him?”. AND I’d explain that I would be available on call but taking a much needed break elsewhere! BEST WISHES

First of all, you should always do what feels right for you and your situation.

I'm always in the minority when this question comes up but I personally believe that trying to keep something of a schedule is beneficial and getting up in the morning to have a bit to eat and taking medications as scheduled, toileting or changing incontinence products, just moving or repositioning is better in the long term. The general feeling seems to be that once people start sleeping so much they are nearing the end of life so we should just let them be, but my mother lasted many years like that.

Sleeping more is one of the criteria that Hospice uses when recertifying a patient on Hospice.
Increased sleeping is a decline and if your husband is not on Hospice you might want to get him evaluated.
Work with his schedule.
give him "breakfast" when he wakes but you might want to rethink breakfast. Make the meal a larger one so he is getting a meal. When he wakes again give him a snack. yogurt, fruit (be careful of slippery fruit like peaches and nectarines they slip down the esophagus very easily)
If he needs changing between waking up you can change him in bed and most likely he will barely wake up.

My FIL's oncologist stopped treating his cancer because he's 88 and not tolerating the chemo anymore. He's been off it for about 3.5 months. At his last appt., she referred him to a palliative care doctor. My wife and her sister took him to that appt. That was one of the questions they asked. Should we wake him up to eat and take his pills? She said "No. If he's sleeping, let him sleep.".

My experience caring for my wife for 18 years has convinced me that our loved ones need a routine in their daily lives. Changes in routines creates confusion and derails all car-based interventions which are key in ensuing the highest possible quality of life for them.

In my view, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks in between, and administration of meds during the 24-hour day should be always at the same regular time.

The other suggestion is that we should keep them busy with activities during the day and prevent long naps so that they are tired when they go to bed, so that they enjoy a good deep sleep.

When a loved one is in the advanced stages of dementia, they sleep longer hours. However, the feeding and meds regiment should be always on schedule, uninterrupted.

I have written a book based on my studies and my 18 years of experience caring for a dementia patient, my wife. The book, "Dementia Care Companion" is available at Amazon.