Schedule for Alzheimer's a Challenge

The one struggle we always have with Pat is her sleeping pattern. She tries to go to bed so early and I know part of that is our fault. Things have been stressful, the questions constant and grating on our hearts, and when she wants to go to bed at 7:30, we let her start getting ready. EVERYTHING is a concern lately. Normally I can remove whatever is making her uneasy, but not lately.

Anyway, she goes to bed by 8:30 and then is up at 6:30. I have caught her the past two mornings and sent her back to bed. Her reasoning is more impaired in the wee morning hours and to convince her that I am headed back to bed too is tough. Yesterday I sware the second I shut the door, she sprung from bed and got dressed. Today she stayed in bed for another hour at least.

So, do I continue to make her go back to bed? Or do we all just adjust our schedules? While she doesn't try to leave, cook, or do anything really, I still don't trust her to be up alone. Luckily, Mark is an insomniac so he hears her when she wakes most times.

I guess for now, we will try to keep her more active. Tonight I will try to get her to build a puzzle after supper or to color. And hopefully, tomorrow, she will sleep. You can tell she needs a schedule but when she wakes, she thinks she is supposed to be up... and once that squeaky wheel inside her brain starts turning, you can forget about her sleeping.