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My mother has high blood pressure and takes medication to control it. She has no other health problems, which is great considering her advanced age! My concern is that she falls asleep very easily and at any time of the day even after a good night's sleep. Someone actually said it is a sign of congestive heart failure, and this has worried me. Please, is it normal for an elderly person to take little naps all day or is it a sign of something her doctor needs to address?

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My mother is 96. She gets up around 7 or 8 a.m., eats her breakfast then watches TV and plays solitaire till meals are delivered at about 11:30. She eats at noon and will nap till 3 or 4., then get up watch TV till about 6 or 6:30 p.m. Up during night for bathroom run, maybe two three times. The days she has a home health aid to play cards or her friends over, she will get up from her nap and play cards until 5:30, watch TV till 7 or 8. So I figure the extra nap time is due to boredom on her part. Basically she has planned activities every other day. The extra napping is always on no visitor days. I am there everyday from 8/30 till 10, 10:30 but I don’t count as a visitor. Lol. She will continue to watch TV, play solitaire and nap.
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my dad slept a lot too. he had alzheimers for about 10 years before passing away at almost 93. he used to be an early riser but started to get up later and later.

then once up. take naps in chair...all day. sitting - getting up for BR and meals

eventually put in AL. and was there 4 years before he died.

but while in AL. same thing sleeping. increased by then. he would try to read the paper and would pass out sleeping. I just figured it was his brain and his body pooping out. problem was his legs just hanging there in the chair. sometimes I would recline his chair or put his feel up on a stool. but he'd wake up and want it back the way it was. I just felt at that point to leave him be. sad to say but I knew he wasn't going to last forever. then he would start to fall over or out and his head would get all wonky. eventually he got on hospice and spent the rest of his life in bed. but at least he looked MORE COMFORTABLE :(
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My mom takes naps during the day - we ended up cutting her BP meds down. The latest research says that people in their eighties and nineties do not need to have really low blood pressure, and that the medicines can contribute to dementia and trouble staying awake. Of course, for people with dementia who wander around late at night, then they sleep during the day to make up for it. My dad does have heart failure and have noticed that he is sleeping a lot more during the day. Doctor said it was normal with this condition.
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My mom is 88, has A-fib, no blood circulation in her legs, gets many infected wounds, so doctor had to pick one thing over the other to treat, we went for wound repair, she was close to gangrene with talk about amputation, so figured a stoke would hopefully be the easier way to go. The reason we couldn't treat both, is she is a fall risk has dementia, tries to get up and falls on her face, she is in assisted living with my dad and he isn't ready to give her up to another facility that won't take him, he is 92, and he sleeps A LOT, we chalk it up to 92 and I agree with cmagnum, I'm 62 and can't imagine how tired I will be in 30 years, I already am.
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It maybe her BP meds need adjusting. Too much and they get tired. She may need a blood test to check potassium levels. Low and they get tired. Could be anything, could just be her age.

Not trying to be smart but at 92 things start to wear out. If she is having heart failure she would be retaining water, like when ur pregnant. Take your thumb and press hard on the front calf of the leg where the muscle is and let up. Does the indention stay for a long time. Then she may be retaining fluid. A call to her Dr. wouldn't hurt.
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My dad is 93. He sleeps most of the time except for meals and to go to the bathroom. I figure that he is tired. I'm 61 and if I life that long, I'm going to be tired also.
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Forgotten2... I can't speak as to age (92), but I know when my honey (who is turning 66 on Monday) started doing that it was from his heart issues.

For your own peace of mind at the very least you may want to talk to your Mom's doctor and let him know about it. He/she may be able to give you more insight. There are wonderful people here on the site that may have been through or are going through the same thing that might be able to provide additional insight/advice as well.

Have a great day and please keep us posted.
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