Daylight Saving Time and Dementia: Tips for Caregivers

Daylight Saving Time can have severe effects on people with dementia. Here’s how you can soften the impact, and help your loved one during this time.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) can significantly impact individuals with dementia, making it crucial to understand how to mitigate its effects and support your loved one during this period. DST disrupts everyone's internal clock. While losing an hour in spring can cause tiredness and gaining an hour in winter may increase irritability and depression in most people, these effects are often much more pronounced in individuals with dementia. For those living with dementia, maintaining a consistent routine is vital for maintaining their independence and quality of life. DST's time shift disrupts this essential routine, often resulting in increased confusion.

Sundowning syndrome affects approximately one in five individuals with dementia, causing increased confusion, agitation, and other behavioral symptoms as daylight fades. This phenomenon is often exacerbated by factors like daylight saving time, which disrupt routines and light-dark cycles, dysregulating the body's circadian rhythm. Symptoms are diverse and can include pacing, agitation, irritability, confusion, demanding behavior, suspicion, yelling, hallucinations, and mood swings. Understanding these triggers and symptoms is essential for caregivers to implement effective strategies to mitigate the severity of these behaviors and improve the quality of life for those affected.

How You Can Help

To help your loved one adjust to daylight saving time, encourage them to maintain a regular routine. This can minimize the negative effects of the time change.

Ensure they avoid sleep disruptors like caffeine, alcohol, and daytime naps, which can interfere with nighttime sleep.

Take them for walks outdoors. Natural sunlight helps regulate the body's natural rhythms, and the exercise can promote better sleep later.

Enjoy higher intensity activities in the morning or early afternoon when attention is more easily sustained.

Create a comfortable home environment that is well-lit and at a moderate temperature, helping them feel safe and secure.

Diffuse lavender essential oil in the late afternoon before sundowning starts. Engage your loved one in a relaxing activity, and play calming music.