Sleep Deprivation and the Sundowning Syndrome

Human rights and litigation.

Sleep, like eating or drinking, is essential for living. Almost everyone has experienced the feeling of ‘falling to pieces’ after a night of poor sleep.

Sleep and Alzheimers

Gaur et al., (2022) described how inadequate sleep causes the aggregation of soluble amyloid beta protein and this may raise the likelihood of poor cognitive outcomes. One mechanism, they explained, is that, during slow wave sleep, the brain may be able to remove metabolic waste more effectively. In my opinion this puts an even greater responsibility on healthcare facilities to prioritise sleep for all patients and the main way this can be accomplished is to cease the two-hourly repositioning regimes, unless awake, use alternating pressure air mattresses, and let patients sleep.

Researchers are investigating the relationship between lack of sleep, or disturbed sleep, and a link with Alzheimer’s Disease (Gaur et al., 2022; Gobraeil, 2022). Therefore, it is imperative that patients are given the opportunity to sleep all night without being disturbed and to be informed of alternative therapies and strategies. Informed consent is a person’s decision, given voluntarily, to agree to a healthcare treatment, procedure or other intervention that is made:

References

Dimond, B (2003). Pressure ulcers and litigation. Nursing Times, 99(5) 5 Dube, A (2021).

Risk factors associated with heel pressure ulcer development in adult population: A systematic literature review. Journal of Tissue Viability https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtv.2021.10.007

Gaur, A., Kaliappan, A., Balan, Y., Sakthivadivel, V., Medala, K., & Umesh, M (2022). Sleep and Alzheimer: The Link. Maedica (Bucur), 17(1), 177-185. doi:10.26574/maedica. 2022.17.1.177

Ta-Wei Guu, Dag Aarsland, Dominic ffytche

Light, sleep-wake rhythm, and behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in care home patients: Revisiting the sundowning syndrome

2022

https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.5712

Gobraeil, S. Rizq, G (2022). What is the Relationship Between Sleep and Alzheimer’s Disease? A Narrative Review. URNCST Journal, 6(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.26685/urncst.334