Promoting sleep

Sleep is important for health and wellbeing. It is a calm period in which body systems are able to rest, restore energy and repair tissue damage. It is also an important time for the brain to make new pathways for information processing and to store into memory information gained throughout the day (Porth, 2011). We all need a good night's sleep; however, our need for sleep and our patterns of sleep change as we age and this can lead to sleep disturbance. Those of us who have experienced sleepless nights know about the subsequent impact on our ability to function the next day. For a person with dementia, disturbed sleep patterns can cause problems not only for themselves but also for their carers. This chapter will present an overview of sleep, summarising the stages of sleep and the disruptions to sleep relating to ageing and dementia. It will describe common causes of sleep disturbance, as well as strategies to assist you in managing these disturbances and promoting sleep for the person with dementia. It will highlight the importance of a good night's sleep to enhance the safety, health and wellbeing of the person with dementia and your ability to provide care for them.