Elderly Mom is sleeping all the time and it is affecting my mental health. Any suggestions?

My 95 yo mother slept/napped a lot during the day. When I would spend the day with her, she would be awake for 2 hours and then nap for an hour...swearing up and down that she wasn't sleeping :) But because of her doing this, her sleep pattern was disrupted and thus, she couldn't sleep at nights. When I would bring her home with me for a few days, I would wake her up when she was napping during the day hours - and lo and behold, she was sleeping better through the night.

I also 'rearranged' the times of day she was taking her meds. Some of her meds caused her to be more drowsy, and with the doc's ok, they were switched to be given after 5pm, instead of the morning hours.

Having her engaged in some activity also helps. I had a home health aid stop by 2week for several hours each time - it gave an opportunity for mother to talk to someone 'new'; also, I would get her books from the library (large print), would take her for rides - even if it was for an hour or two - just for a change of scenery. Having her talk to the remaining living friends once a week gave her something to look forward to, as did the numerous cards and letters from friends.

But overall, seniors who are no longer living an active life do tend to sleep more due to lack of mental stimulation but also the body slowing down. Staying active, if one can, is critical - yes, I know a 89 yo who still walks 5 miles every day, and a 93 yo who volunteers 3x week at the local kitty shelter and does fundraising for them - these ladies have no sleep issues whatsoever. But these are the exception. So, once a senior goes to alf or snf, I think it is up to family and friends to help as much as possible.

Oh I'm definitely in your situation as far as your mental health and caregiving. I totally understand. I've been taking care of my parents, 89 and 86. for year's now and travel 45 minutes to get to them. Now they need me more than ever and I can hardly get out of bed. Called my psychiatrist and he's adding Abilify to my antidepressant. He said that I should get admitted to the hosp. A hospital that he doesn't have privileges to. I'm scared to do that but I am in a deep dark hole. Sorry, this is no help to you. I'm so sorry, didn't mean to talk about myself but I am going through the same thing and I hope you are not at my level of depression. Being a caregiver can really be overwhelming. If you aren't on a depressant I have to say that they do help!! I've been on them for so long that it's not helping me much but when I first started prozac, I was immediately happy that I was doing something for myself to get better. Just a small dose may be enough to pull you out of your depression soon. Talking to a friend is also helpful although I am tired of burdening my friends with the same conversation over and over again. My thoughts are constantly about my parents. I can't get a break from it in my mind. I hope this helps you a little bit. You are most definitely not alone in this situation. There are so many helpful people on this forum, I hope it helps by reaching out!!