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We have our "Mama Flo" on a scheduled (recommended by her primary physician). She goes to bed at 10:00 p.m. and gets up at 10:00 a.m. She still wants to doze all day long. We are continually having to wake her up. She is NOT on any medications that would make her sleepy. Someone is always with her, or at least in the house with her, whether it be my husband and/or I, or our caretaker who helps when we are both away. We are continually waking her up. We recently started putting her to bed at 9:00 p.m.--that seemed to help at first--but, she is STILL wanting to sleep!!! Help!! How much sleep does she need? She generaly takes 30 minute to 1 hour nap after her lunch at 2:30. It just doesn't seem to be enough...????

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I also have an elderly father with alz and a pacemaker,he stays up all morning and I give him his pills with breakfast,then after lunch he naps till 5pm then he watches more tv supper pills coffee Yes I said coffee)and he sleeps ,I think even to the bathroom in the middle of the night.he cant travel so well any more and watches tv but doesnt get it really.
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Forgot to mention that my Dad is 92, he lives with me.
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My Dad is having trouble sleeping for a few days, on the last 24 hrs he only got about three hrs of sleep. Nothing seems to help. Any advice?
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How often are you having to give them, Firefly? If you have any types that have to be given more than once or twice a day, it might be worth asking your pharmacist if there is a modified release version of her prescription available.

Is her swallowing all right, no problems with her actually getting the tablets down?
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My mother is 90 yrs old an has Alz. as well as congestive heart failure. She sleeps most of the time. What I would like to figure out is how to wake her up when it's time for meds.
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I am 54 and take care of my Mother (she is 94). It has only gradually been getting difficult the last couple of years. I found this discussion thread because I am having trouble getting her to be active - - especially at normal hours. She would be happy for me to drive her to Walmart or the grocery story at 8 or 9 pm but I want to crawl into bed at this hour.

She was physically active and near perfect until, again, about 2 years ago; big slow down since then.

God bless and help folks who take care of a parent. People with children might disagree but it is harder than raising a child because you are slowing losing someone. But, I love her dearly. I only wish we all planned better (you know, expecting that one day she would be most comfortable living on one floor with bath and access to a porch, etc.)

Thank you for the chance to read other experiences on this topic and to add my own.
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Maybe check thyroid function, but to some degree increased sleep with very advanced aging is normal.
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Alaskakings - how much Fentanyl & for how long? I'm on fentanyl myself & if you want to mail me I'll give you what help I can :~)
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Thank you for all of your responses. It makes me feel like we are doing the right thing to let my 93 year old mom sleep when she wants too. We also try not to plan back to back outings or doctor appointments because that wears her out a lot.
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Hi bobby1--my Father 90 sleeps from 2:30 pm to 8am. Has no interest in anything except eating.
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bobby1, I would have her bipolar medications reevaluated, if possible. It sounds as though she is in a depressive state and cannot get out of it.

With the advancement of the dementia, it's possible that her medications would need to be evaluated again anyway.
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do you know if it is normal for an 88 year old with dementia and is also bipolor to sleep 10 to 15 hours a day. She has always been aloner and has no interests. Use to read and do needlework. Not anymore. Does not like tv,sitting outside. Take her out and wants to go home immediately. Has no patience. Just says I wish there is a pill to take so I could die. It is very depressing.
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No, my husband is 91, and he seems to sleep 20 out of 24 hours. He had a sleep study and doesn't have apnea. I am 76 and I do have it. So one never knows....
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Sarah, are you 93?

I'm not saying it's impossible that the OP's mother has the same condition as you, but I think there might be simpler explanations. Like being very old and very tired.

All the same, I'm delighted for you that you've found a life-changing solution and I completely agree that it's something always to be considered.
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Sleep apnea can be dangerous. It causes low blood oxygen, which is implicated in heart attacks and strokes. When I was diagnosed, my blood oxygen was in the 80s (it should be 100% or close to it), and I had had 2 small strokes.
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These sleepy ones should be tested for sleep apnea. With this condition a person wakes up dozens or hundreds of times during the night (but isn't aware of it) and thus does not get a restful night's sleep. It is very treatable, but most people don't know they have it and don't get treated. Now that I'm being treated, I feel like a completely different person--energetic, positive, not depressed.

Ask your primary care doctor about having a sleep study. He/she should send you to a sleep specialist doctor for the test and diagnosis.
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My friend is 99 & 3/4. Her birthday is in July. She dose not have an appetite and the doc says to give her 3 ensures a day. We are lucky to get her to drink 1. She is on a fentanyl patch and was wondering if it could be that? Anybody have any experience with this? Thank you for any advice or your experience.
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My mums 90 and needs new false teeth she is on benefits as she is not a very well lady doesn't she get any help paying for teeth or does she pay for them herself .
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I realize this is an old post, but I'll put my two cents in here. First, the woman is 93!!! What difference does it make that she sleeps all the time? Is she missing some important appointments or something? My sisters and I care for our parents who are 90. They also sleep pretty much all the time. Mom can stay awake if we're taking her to the doctor, but then when she gets home she's pretty exhausted and will sleep sitting up for the rest of the day until we feed her or put her to bed. Dad sometimes falls asleep on the way to the doctor, in the doctor's office and then sleeps for about 24 hours after the outing, except for meals. It is perfectly normal for elderly people to sleep most of the time. Their bodies are wearing out. Their hearts can't take the activity without being a little stressed. Not enough for a heart attack, necessarily, but frankly, if you live long enough and nothing else kills you, you will probably die of congestive heart failure because your heart just wears out.

Now this does not mean that ALL elderly people sleep all the time. I don't want to get angry responses from people arguing that their mother/father/MIL/aunt/whoever is out dancing every night. Good for them! My 95-year-old aunt is still going strong too, but she does sleep more than she used to and tires more easily.

I remember when I was young I volunteered in a nursing home. I used to hate to walk the halls and see elderly people sound asleep in their wheelchairs all over the place. I thought it was a sign of neglect on the part of the staff. But then I started taking care of my folks and realized that something as simple as getting up and getting dressed and walking out to the family room will wear my dad out so much that he falls asleep immediately. I have to wake him up to feed him breakfast. Then he falls asleep again. I give him the morning paper to read and he falls asleep holding it. He gets up to use the bathroom, then goes back to his chair and falls asleep. When he had his physical a few months ago the doc said that he is very healthy for a man his age, and the sleep thing is perfectly normal.

So don't worry about your mom sleeping, and certainly don't give her stimulants to make her stop. Enjoy the quiet time, for heaven's sake!
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This extended sleeping has to be normal. My mom is 92 and up until a few years ago could literally run rings around me. She is very well cared for and physically healthy but has suffered from alzhiemers for the past eight years. Lately she is really slowing down. We do the same routine nearly every day. Up between 7am and 10. 2 hrs to eat breakfast and dress. some kind of outing to church, grocery, or beatyshop or maybe lunch out.. Rest in lounge chair or on porch looking at books or magazines, another little outing like post office or errand so she gets out of house. Then dinner, bath, between 8 and 10pm. I use a baby monitor to wake me if she gets up at night, as she often does, but now it is easier and easier to redirect her back to bed. When she gets up at night she is hard to get up in the morning. About every third day I just let her sleep in an then do a longer afternoon outing and shes ready for dinner bath and bed. Reminds me of the early years with my children. Not much me time. Actually, this sleepy stage is alot easier to deal with than the early aggitated phase.
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Thanks to all of you for great suggestions and real life experiences. My 90 year old dad came to live with me last year and I'm finding my way through doing what is best for him. I'm finding that as the weather gets cooler, he is sleeping more but am thinking that is normal as I'd like to stay in bed longer at this time of year too! Other than that he is in great shape. Sees his Drs. regularly an just had his medication reduced because he is doing so well. So I guess I should not be concerned about his sleep patterns but it is nice to know there are others out there to reach out to when I need it! Thanks all and good luck and God Bless too!
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Maybe she would like it if you cooked a favorite old recipe together...
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Hi Penny88, start by asking her questions about herself; her childhood, schooling, family, ancestry, hobbies. People usually like to talk about themselves and feel good when someone is Interested in them! She will be thrilled. You're a Sweetheart:) xo
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I am caring for a 93 year old woman, who I have become very close too. I just want to know what does someone her age really like to do? I ask her, she says she don't know. She is not on very many meds and still has a pretty sharp mind. I just want to do something with her that would make her happy. I could really use some insight on this.
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my mom is 97 and up to a couple weeks ago never slept during the day now thats all she does
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I also have a 93 year old mom who lives with me and I have to watch her most of the time. She is always falling asleep during the day, she goes to bed at 9:-00 pm and gets up most of the time at about 10:00 am. I just think that elderly people just sleep alot.
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Oh yeah, Babe! WE're here, and we're listening on stereo, too!!! Isn't that FUN? All night long, I have my husband's snores in my right ear, and my Mother's snores, moans, and snorts in my left ear coming thru the monitor!! WHOO HOO!!! KT--you sound like the pageant girls: And Night Y'all, from the Big OC, California, USA, where the elite come to beat their feet, and the sardines can't wait to be bait!!! Love you!!! HUGS Christina
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OK...I can see I've gained two new friends and comrades!!! Woo Hoo!!! Ya'll have made my day. Am listening on our monitor (we can hear her and we can talk to her--it's great in a two story house!!!)...she's snoring away...or, purring as I like to call it...ya'll sleep well. Thanks for everything~! I hope that maybe I can at some point add a thing or two that might help you or someone else from time to time!!! Night, night...from Tallahassee, Florida, USA!!! :-)
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ktrafnel- you ll get all kind sof good and the bad commets . with the bad ones ijust ingore it . christina is a sweetheart also . i just want to reach out and grab her and hug her hard , and i feellike i want to hug u hard too . :-)
yes we dont want our lovin parents to slip away . so sad but then sometimes i think they want to slip away , get tired of living same old same ole , everyday , my mom was young when she passed on , always said i lived a good life , i want to go meet my master . thats all she ever think of is to go meet her master , she was tired of living with cancer , god bless her soul !
come back and keep us update or just to be talking to eachother , always a pleasure to meet someone new .
like i said hateful commets , just ingore it . say few cuss word in ur mind then ah u ll feel better . xoxoxo
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No! Christina! You read me wrong! It was the 73 yr. old before you...I thought her comments were "snarfy"... Read what she says. Basically, for us to "leave it alone"..."that the poor old soul has earned the right to do whatever (s)he wants!" Good grief! I was ready to run! And, just delete myself! Wow!!! I appreciate your being realistic and appreciate all you've said. I find MOST people who have never been where we are have NO IDEA what this is about!!! Thank YOU and the other "angel"!!! Hugs to both of you! :-) No apology needed!
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