Dementia, sleep, and simple solutions.

摘要

It is 4 AM and I can hear my 100-year-old father shuffling about in his room. Soon comes the knock on our bedroom door and my husband and I sit up only to see my father, dressed in suit, tie, and loafers. "When is the car coming to take us to church?" he asks anxiously. "Church?" I respond incredulously. "Yes, church-for my wedding. I do not want to be late. When is the car coming?" After 15 minutes of difficult negotiation, struggling to apply rationality where I know it will never work, my dad is back in bed. An hour later, there is a repeat episode. By 5:30 am, I am exhausted but I cannot get back to sleep.