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My mom was prescribed a very small dose of Lorazepam for extreme anxiety/insomnia during bad spells of sundowning (specifically during the full moon when she would be awake until 3 am with a lot of agitation). But now she just has general insomnia - she won't fall asleep and keeps waking up until around 2 am when she finally falls asleep. She doesn't have anxiety, so I don't want to give her the Lorazepam, but I'm not getting any sleep. (I sleep with her so I can take her to the bathroom in the middle of the night.)


I know about trying to limit naps during the day, exposure to sunlight, keeping busy with activities, regular wake times, etc. That's not really working. She gets sleepy on the sofa in the evening, so we go to bed around 9:30pm but then suddenly she's wide awake. Thoughts?

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The hospital gave mom melatonin to reset her sleep cycle in the hospital. Since then, I've kept her and grandma on it. I think it helps. The days when mom either misses a dose, or lately when I've concluded I need to up the dose, she is up in the middle of the night digging through stuff. I upped the dose and now she sleeps through the night except for bathroom breaks.

I also give it to grandma. She used to do laps around the house at all hours of the night. She sleeps through the night much better now.

I'm a melatonin believer now. This is coming from a long time melatonin skeptic.
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What really helped my mother sleep through the night early on was mirtazapine, an antidepressant with beneficial side effects. I tried melatonin for my mom, start with the very smallest dose.
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Try a bud earphone with an audio book. It will keep her mind from being too active when she goes to bed, and she may drop off to sleep. Even if she lies quietly and just listens, it will let you get some sleep yourself. Affordable (from the library), non-addictive and no adverse effects!
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They put my dad on 3mg of Melatonin and it works well for him.
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