Why are people with dementia attracted to staying up all night and sleeping all day?

cant help you with the whys of this really but i guess it just makes sense if you are up all night you will want to sleep all day and it seems to be a things many seniors do….my mother goes to bed at 8, she will get ready for bed in pjs as early as 3 30pm…anytime after midnight she is dressed for the day…in and out of bathroom all night, doing her hair, emptying trash cans…she comes down for breakfast by 8am…she can be asleep in the living room chair by 9…the only thing that somewhat helps is waking her all day long…i got tired of verbally doing it so i bought a school hand bell and ring it…she has broken her hearing aids so many times ever her hearing aid dr was shocked…the final straw was when she dropped one on her floor and one of my dogs chewed it to shreds..the bell she hears and it saves me from yelling…i asked her dr about a sedative but he says that will increase her chance of falling from being groggy …he did however say I NEED ONE…no sh**!!

Teenagers do the same thing. It's all about brain function. The classic phase markers for measuring the timing of a mammal's circadian rhythm are:
melatonin secretion by the pineal gland (or taken as a supplement)
core body temperature (night setback thermostats help)
plasma level of cortisol (helps raise blood sugar levels during stress).
Ambient light is also a factor, and modern living with electric lighting has a way of throwing off the rhythms too.

I highly recommend daily activities for them, see the local association for adult day care in your community and they may be able to help. I have seen them change in a matter of days.

My mom was going to bed at 7pm and waking up around 2am to prowl the rest of the night. About two weeks after replacing her regular light bulbs with some 'day light' florescents she started staying up later-- till about 9:pm.. and sleeping till 6:30 or so. You guys might try that. You can get the bulbs at Lowes.. and elsewhere.

I'm 54, "sane," and function better at night; when most of the Bronx is asleep. Without those worldly distractions, I actually enjoy reading, watching Lifetime movies, raiding the fridge whenever I want to. Don't have to answer to anyone if I feel like strolling down to the nearest pub at midnight. My ex used to nag about why I can't go to bed like a "normal" person. ... She had to go.

Instead of trying to figure out what's "wrong" with someone else, let's put ourselves in his/her shoes; and take it from there.

Gold! My dad does the exact same thing. Sleeps all day, fidgets in and out of both kitchen and bathroom. Checks the weather at night. Have left front door open during the night. Up to mischief most of the time. Eats and open the fridge door all the time. keeps my sister awake. Exhausting. I take him out for 3 or 4 hours, but reverts back to same habit. And leaves tv on loud in his room. On and on!

I am lucky, my dad and I both had late night, late morning cycles. When I stopped working late nights to care for him, I had to work to get myself on a more daytime awake schedule, and as he has increased in his dementia, regulating sleep is work for both of our sakes. Blue lights, as in electronics, TVs and some clocks, tend to interfere with sleep. It takes 8 Hours for 1/2 the caffeine to leave your body (longer I suspect as your body becomes less efficient). I got Dad to trade his coffee after the first cup to Swiss Miss Coco (sugar free) and a drink with melatonin with dinner and beyond. The windows are covered in his room so he is not up at the crack of dawn (I get up at 10 am he gets up 10:30-11). We both have Ott Lights by our chairs, so there is full spectrum when we wake. He loves to eat, so I feed him about every two hours (yogurt, eggs, oatmeal, fruit after protein) He loves America's Funnies Videos so I help find interesting TV for him. At night, I have a sleep CD I listen to "Sleepy Rain" by Dr. Jeffery Thompson (Amazon). There are pillows with speakers in them, if your mom does not hear well, I play mine on an old boombox I got from Goodwill. Just rain sounds, no talking, very soothing and consistent use will make is a signal for your body to sleep, same time every day. My dad and I have memory foam to sleep on, and heated mattress pads (He does not wet through the diapers and pad), this helps relax the muscles. Lavender oil relaxes muscles also. Also, the SSRI meds for depression help me sleep better, and he is also on meds. I believe they also help decrease pain for some. Also, and maybe finally, oatmeal before bed and improve sleep. Good Luck.

When you are not with her is she alone and stays up? If she is alone she may need more stimulation in the day to tire or if she has too much stimulation she may piddle as it allows her to functional and feel okay to her. There are many things going on to check on. I had a friend who had this and come to find out some was depression and not wanting to face her inabilities and she functioned when it was slower at night and gradually got her day and night mixed up. We had to try to get back one hour at a time kinda like you do on vacation and that may be key that she needs stimulation. Things I would look at is her routine and see how stimulating is it? Is she depressed? What is her favorite pasttimes that she can do in day to be engaged? Can you alter her routine an hour a day? Is she staying up late, sleeping a little or none at all. With the disease sleep patterns are altered. You may check her diet and digestive system to see if she is eating substances along with her meds to keep her vitamin B intac. Also her meds need review to see if they may be causing some arousal either by the drug or time of day taken. I know it is a lot but it is often a checklist to research and see what factors influence and what you can do to help. If able you might start collecting the above info coupled with h good geripsych behavioral review where you get her seen and have for them her 24 hour schedule of activities, sleep observed for amount and time, mood and times of changes along with sleep and meds. .

lifeasasenior has very good advice. Our parents have taken care of us and then, not only are they no longer needed, we are taking care of them because they cannot. Mom said many times that it was not supposed to be this way and I think she felt bad that she was living with me and my husband when she should have been taking care of herself. I give my mom "jobs" to do during the day when there is nothing else for her to do but watch t.v. Her memory isn't good enough for her to read anymore (which was always her entertainment). She can fold washcloths, dish cloths and hand towels and several times a week I give her a small laundry basket with these items (she folds the same ones over and over) but she seems to have a sense of accomplishment and makes her feel like she is contributing to the household.

GayleinJaxFL, oh memories! I bought 100 towels and brought them to adult daycare when Mom was there. She folded them, thought it was her job, and felt so good! They threw them in the dryer and gave them back to her, she never remembered already doing it. That was 4 years ago, she can no longer fold or go to daycare but you are right. I had her put away silverware, sort socks, etc at home also. enjoy!
About the night awakenings, I went through it for a year with my Mom. I cut her door in half and locked the outer side. She would rest her arms on it saying "hi? hi? helllllllo?" all night long but was safe. I could only put a few things in her closet and drawers to play with or everything would be on the floor. Finally I took her and the neuro gave her depakote sprinkles rx to calm her brain at night, worked like a charm. good luck everyone, this stage does pass.