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We took him to the ER and they just sent him to the nursing home the nursing home doctor is now trying 0.25 mg of ativan. He hasn't slept at the nursing home either

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Nobody can go without sleep for 8 days, it is not humanly possible. I'm sure the nursing home will get an Rx for a good sleep aid tonight.
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dotingdaughter, normally a person cannot go more than 4 days without sleep, especially an elder. Now a 17 year old boy did go 11 days without sleep for a science project but by day 11 he was in a vegetable state.

Chances are your Dad napped, unless someone was there watching him for the whole 8 days to see if he was awake or sleeping. By chance could he have been sleeping with his eyes opened?

Keep us up to date on how your Dad is doing.
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There was no snoring, but i guess if you can sleep with your eyes open then he has mastered it.
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Any history in your family of FFI (Fatal Familial Insomnia) or Morvan's Syndrome? Morvan's 'fibrillary chorea' or Morvan's syndrome is characterized by neuromyotonia (NMT), pain, hyperhydrosis, weight loss, severe insomnia and hallucinations.
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Oh your poor dad! In addition to the other symptoms of dementia, his brain damage is messing with his sleep/wake cycle. Ouch!

I had a sleep study done in a lab one afternoon, testing for narcolepsy. At the end of test the technician said I did not have narcolepsy. It took me x minutes to fall asleep for the first nap and y minutes the second time "But, but" I stuttered, "I did not sleep at all the entire time." Apparently I was sleeping so lightly I wasn't aware of it, but the equipment could measure it. If someone had asked me I would have said I didn't sleep at all that afternoon. I wouldn't be lying -- but I wouldn't be accurate either.

I'm guessing that at various times during those eight days your dad did get some light sleep.

A sleep doctor specializing in circadian rhythm problems told me that exhaustion overrides everything and your body will sleep when exhausted. Adrenalin may keep first-responders going through a long emergency, but exhaustion will eventually win out. I don't know if dementia changes this.

I sincerely hope that an appropriate sleep aid can be found for your poor dad. Please keep us informed as this unfolds.
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My dad has stage 4 liver cirrhosis. He’s in a nursing home and hasn’t slept in 3 days at this point. He too one little nap but that’s it. He’s delerious. How does he do this? He’s on so many pain meds, including OXY and melatonin. I can’t go without sleeping like that an I’m a healthy person. How does a sick older person do this? Insane. No he’s not sleeping with his eyes open because he’s talking all night.
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I'd bet your dad may sleep in "snips". A few minutes here and there.

My 95 year old mother would commonly be awake from 9 pm (when we put her to bed) to 4 am, sleep til 9 am, be awake til 2 pm, sleep until 5 pm (dinner time) then fall asleep from 6:30-9 pm.


Since menopause 11 years ago, my sleep has been irratic.
Sometimes it takes a couple hours to fall asleep (I look at the clock) and other times I can fall asleep right away but wake up at 2 or 3 am. Once in awhile, I'll sleep for 2 hours, then wake up, then sleep for another 2 hours, etc.

This sleeping problem has wrecked havoc on my days to work. (I work 3 days a week.) I was so exhausted at work, I'd get drowsy. My doctor prescribed Ativan (Lorazepam) 1 mg. before bed. I fall asleep easier and STAY asleep until the alarm goes off. I don't have a "drug hangover" and wake up well rested.

I wouldn't take it on my days off but then it was back to one of the above sleep problems and dragging through my day off.
It's been a real help to "normalize" my sleeping so I can work alert and fresh.

Hopefully, your dad will find some relief with Ativan. He's on a pretty low dose but that's normal to start with.

And, yes, a few people can sleep with their eyes open but they're not talking or moving around.
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My MIL would SWEAR up down and sideways that she has not slept in over 40 years. Seriously, she doesn't think she ever sleeps.

But, obviously, she does...this was simply her way of proving to her family some point or the other--mostly that they have ruined her life to the point her "nerves are shredded".....I can state that I have certainly seen her asleep--once she was robbed and slept through the whole thing and only woke up when the police were breaking down her door.

He could very well be "sneaky napping" and he doesn't sleep deeply enough to really recharge, but he's resting and then at night, he's not really tired enough to sleep.

My hubby will often take a day off work and sleep for 24-48 hrs--and I mean, he's dead to the world...CPAP on and completely comatose in sleep. TOO MUCH sleep is almost as bad as none. He never feels refreshed, he never wants to do anything. Seems like it's impossible to find a balance here.
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