Any ideas for getting Mom to sleep in her bed?

If she's safe in the house and she's not waking you, can you not just let her go through this phase? Are there any risks or problems arising from it?

Let her sleep there as long as she is safe. She is probably more comfortable in the chair. Also, people who have breathing issues often like to sit up where they can expand thier lungs and breathe more deeply.

I bought dad a deluxe foam mattress topper to go on top of the hospital bed mattress. It is unbelievably comfortable. We keep the head of the bed elevated to 45 degrees at all times due to his history of aspiration. I also got the most comfy pillows and quilt. Mom would never allow a recliner in her home, so his bed is really his only sleep spot. He broke his hip 3 years ago by dozing off in a chair and falling over. Now he is never left unattended for more than a moment. A night time caregiver, too.

Thanks for all the input you guys! It was really a nice feeling to have so many people respond, a feeling I haven't had in quite some time. And your right, as long as she is not in harms way I'm not going to fuss at her. I've been living with her for 19 months now and I do have A lot to be grateful for. She is very easy to take care of. The only thing I have to deal with is extreme isolation and loneliness because I moved up here from Florida and I have no one here no friends and no one in the family helps. there is only one sister-in-law and two nieces and I have seen them maybe once since I've been up here.

If she is awake at night, do not let her sleep during the daytime. Sundowners can be helped with a little Melatonin (bought OTC at drugstores), and she might feel more comfortable sleeping in the recliner. So what? Not everyone does well sleeping horizontally. Have you asked her if her back hurts when she lies down? Maybe she likes the room better than her bedroom. For whatever reason, her mind is taking her places you will not understand, and you have to allow her some latitude. Afterall, there is nothing "normal" about dementia!

My father was like this with his dementia until he was bedridden just a couple weeks before he died! Even in memory care, he was up and down all night, and sleeping on the sofa. Medications didn't seem to help much either. He didn't wander while at home, but he was very upsetting to my Mom and her inability to get any sleep herself due to him roaming, turning on the TV loud, turning lights on and off and wandering in to ask her questions etc. He did things like get out ice cream to eat, and leave the container by his chair to melt, or put it back in the fridge side or up in a cupboard, creating messes. He tried cooking in middle of the night and burned up a couple pans at the end of his time at home, and created havoc by deciding he was looking for something and rearranging drawers or shelves all night long. Mom would get up to big messes sometimes! So to me, if this is the stage she is in, it may be time for a nighttime caretaker just to keep her OK, or time to start planning for placement in memory care. Also, yes....a low, low bed with padding next to it, in case of a fall while getting out of bed. Oftentimes, a fall, with a break and a need for hospital will lead to worsening dementia and/or death. This is exactly what did my Daddy in last month.

Unfortunately, there are no pemanent answers. What works will only work for a short while. The cost to the family caregivers is huge from time lost at work to severe health problems. The danger from fire or falling during the night is enormous, disrupting and possibly injuring the whole family. Please look into nighttime caregivers unless you are really averse to having someone in your house when you are trying to sleep. Then you need to consider a group home placement where they have an awake nighttime staff member, or a memory care(locked) facility.

I just found out that a mild antihistamine makes my mother sleep like a baby. We tried melatonin which made her groggy the next day and valerian which made her hallucinate. I put a doorbell on my mother's door so I will know if she gets up. BTW she only wanders when she has a UTI.

Sofas are warmer, definitely. The back of the sofa provides protection from the cold air in the wintertime. Unless someone sleeps with a massive large pillow next to their back, a bed just doesn't provide the wintertime warmth that a sofa does.

One option might be to switch her regular bed for a daybed. It's wider in the cushion area than a sofa, but it also has a back as a sofa does so it can protect against winter chills.

I slept on the sofa for several months when my mother stayed with me and I gave her my bed. I actually grew to like it. For an older person who might be vulnerable, a sofa provides a backing protection.

Is she safe alone at night? If she functions pretty independently in the day time, can she function as well at night? Then I don't see this as a problem.

If she keeps you awake at night, this is a problem.

If she is apt to take a few extra pills at night, or turn on burners, etc., this is a problem.

Could you provide a little more information?