How do I deal with an individual who gets up early in the morning thinking it is time for breakfast?

I got ours on Amazon. I love it. The drawback is that the projection is in a fixed position, and to have it point where I want it to on the ceiling, its back is toward the bed. My mother could not see the clock face well enough without her glasses anyway, so this isn't an issue for us. I thought the light might be too bright but this particular model does not have that problem. When you are not looking toward it you aren't aware it is there.

My mother is with me this long weekend after missing last month (she was in TCU), and she discovered the ceiling clock all over again. She is tickled by it!

reddog - Bed Bath and Beyond & Amazon both have them. There are models that project either on a wall or the ceiling, some are atomic and set the time automatically. Just a mention that the only problem I've heard about them is a complaint that they're like a strong night light, illuminating the room more than some people prefer. Something to take into account and usually on a trial basis perhaps.

Please tell me where I can find a clock that projects the time on the ceiling...MIL is 91 and can't get up by herself but blows her whistle when she needs help or is ready to get up...often is willing to go back to sleep when I tell her it's 3 am...or what ever but sometimes wants an hourly accounting...has a digital clock on her night stand with 2 inch red numbers but is partially blind...she can see the clock if she turns her head but on the ceiling she would not be able to miss it...

It's a drop in blood sugar making them wake up. Either feed a snack just before bedtime, like a bowl of cereal, or be ready to feed them at 2 am. Just like a toddler.

One piece of rye bread with almond butter will also keep blood sugars high so one can sleep through the night. Give about 7 p.m. One tbsp. of honey and one tbsp. of apple cider vinegar mixed together will also bring on sleepiness if melatonin disrupts a medication.

I always try and get my mom to drink a hi protein Boost with her last meal of the day, it seems to let her sleep longer.

Yes, a big clock (bigger the better and digital) can do wonders.

I bought my dad a day-clock from day-clock. I could not find anything similar to it in the US. It displays "It's now Tuesday morning", or afternoon/evening/night. Night lasts until 7am, but you can change it if you want. It has helped my dad quite a bit.

I also suggest melatonin. Please make sure to consult her doctors as it does have some medication conflicts. My friend administers this to his 80 year old mum and her symptoms of sundowners, getting up at 2am expecting to start the day, etc. have disappeared. Keep in mind though, that melatonin supplements teach the body to not create as much of its own melatonin, and the resistance grows over time so you may need to keep increasing the dosage.

Angel

Just be careful with melatonin if your loved one is on any kind of blood thinner. I couldn't give my mom melatonin for that reason. I read an interesting article that we're designed to sleep in 4-hour blocks of time. Most of us wake up a bit after the first four hours and then go back to sleep. Some of us wake up enough to have a hard time going back to sleep - I'm that way myself more these days. I think the previous ideas about clocks and snacks are good, if hunger is really the issue. I have a feeling more is going on, or the person would be able to realize it's still the middle of the night. Another idea would be to keep the person awake longer into the evening, if possible.

Sorry, but this is Sundowners. With only a few hours of sleep this person needs more Melatonin, a natural substance produced by the pituitary gland to induce sleep. This is a supplement, over-the-counter, and can be purchased at any drug store. Give about 1.5 mg about 8 p.m. and your loved one will sleep all night. It is not habit-forming and all of you will sleep better. Happy sleeping!

Any possibility it could be sleepwalking? I've seen a lot of crazy things when someone is doing this.

Hmmm. Maybe the midnight waking IS the sun-downing?

That idea about projecting the time on the bedroom ceiling is brilliant. And if that doesn't work, you might try a bedtime medication to help the individual sleep through the night.

But there's another factor at play here -- selfishness. Feeling hungry in the middle of the night is one thing, but making all that noise is something else. It isn't necessary to wake the household in order to get a snack. This may be attention-getting behavior more than hunger.

Maybe best to discuss it with the individual's doctor?

Meanwhile, I send blessings for a quick resolution to this exhausting situation.

My mom sometimes gets up at very early hours. When I come to check on what is going on she always asks "What time is it?" and when I say "It is 3:30 in the morning, Mother" she replies, "Oh well! Then I am going right back to bed." (Good plan, Mother!) I recently bought a clock that projects the time (along with AM or PM) on the ceiling in her bedroom. That has cut down on the middle-of-the-night activity. She can see it without her glasses and without turning on a light.

Mom has dementia and her sense of time has gotten really out of whack. If I offer to bring her tea I won't even get to the kitchen before she is hollering "Where is that tea?" She is not a demanding person, but 30 seconds and 30 minutes seem all the same to her.

For the individual you are working with, I wonder if a bedtime snack would help. You could also try setting out a little plate with a couple of cookies or a granola bar or a muffin or a single serving package of pudding or applesauce, etc., along with a note "Enjoy this treat now, and go back to bed. Breakfast will be at 8:30" Does this person normally cook breakfast when it is time for it?