My Mom sleeps. She's really good at it. I mean really really good at it.
Today she took a shower (she still loves showers and how they make her feel...yeah) and she needed to take a nap after. Then she got up and had dinner. but now she has to take another nap because sitting up was too much for her. She may be in bed all night or get up in another couple of hours.
Other days, she may take a nap or two even without any brain draining activities.
She is not near the end and is still able to dress herself with reminders and she occasionally reads or plays a match 3 game on a tablet.
But, should I try to get her on a schedule or just go with the flow of her napping unless there is something like a doctor's appointment?
I remember when my parents were in their 90's and still living in their house, they use to brag that they only need 6 hours of sleep. Of course, they didn't add in their nap times which was usually right after breakfast, after lunch, before dinner, and after the evening news. They were able to watch Johnny Carson/Jay Leno.
My folks had their routine, they use to walk 2 miles every day, come rain or shine. Grocery shopping which meant going to 4 different grocery stores as each one had their own specials. In the fall, they would rake 15 bags of leaves, then go in for a nap.
I am in my mid-70's and have found that taking a shower and washing my hair was like having a workout at the gym. I just couldn't stay awake afterwards :P
How is your Mom's eyesight. I found if I have issues with focusing, I just close my eyes.... oops, nap time appears !!
1. Wake up at 6:30
2. Get dressed (sort of)
3. Breakfast around 7:30
4. Nap in her comfy chair from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
5. Lunch at noon
6. Nap in the comfy chair from 1-5
7. Watch the news and have dinner on a tray while watching "Big Bang Theory" reruns AGAIN
8. Upstairs to bed at 9-9:30 p.m.
Repeat.
My dad despaired of trying to get her up to do anything, and she declined to listen or try. After he died and I moved her to a memory care, she was occasionally snoozing a bit in her wheelchair, but was pretty much awake from 7 a.m. until going to bed around 9 p.m. That's because there was something to going on every minutes of the day, and they wouldn't let her go to bed. (She also didn't ask.) She didn't necessarily participate in the activities, but they kept her out in the common room where there was always something going on that kept her engaged.
It's very, very hard to create such a level of activity one-on-one with a loved one. I know my poor dad tried so hard, but of course, my mother also had health issues that sapped her energy, and at that time she was also still mobile to some extent and walking was very taxing. I also think she was very bored and depressed, because she has macular degeneration and could no longer read or see people. She self-isolated as her vision and hearing deteriorated.
Get her checked out for heart problems (or other issues), and if there's no good reason for her to sleep the day away, you'll either have to come up with something to keep her occupied all the time, or expect her to sleep a lot as she does now.
We are a family of introverts. The "engagement programs" are HELL to introverts. When I had her going to the senior center for lunch and exercise class 2 days a week, that was the limit of her engagement. Now it has been closed for a year. When I tried to get her engaged in other things, it made her angry and if she did it, it zapped her energy and caused confusion for 2 days later. Once I backed off, she stabilized. But, she isn't bored and just enjoys the wind blowing the trees across the street. Or her spinners in the garden.
She walks the back yard which has nice wide paths to make it safe for her and she would spend time gardening and such. She likes to read but it is getting difficult for her. I get her large print novellas and the little vignette books for dementia patients. She's almost unable to keep track of the novellas now. I don't think her reading will last much longer. either.
I have a respite caregiver in during the week and Mom has to sleep for hours and sometimes the next day, just because of how much it takes out of her to try relate to her for a couple of hours.