Studying Sleep Early in the Dementia Journey: Five Essential Tips / Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias

Do you wish you could get a good night’s sleep? We do too!

We are Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster. As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, we appreciate the insights Dr. Glenna Brewster, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, Assistant Professor at Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University, shared for all of us about her sleep study titled SLEEPMATE, and how we can all create good sleep habits.

Dr. Glenna Brewster’s background is impressive, and her passion for good sleep is inspiring! In addition to her responsibilities as a professor, she is a nurse scientist, family nurse practitioner, and she leads the Emory University Mind at Rest research team, which develops and tests practical, evidence-based programs to reduce sleep problems and improve health outcomes for people living with memory loss or dementia and their caregivers.

Good sleep isn’t just for your care receiver, this is for you too!

According to Dr. Brewster:

Sleep problems, especially if you’re a caregiver or person living with cognitive impairment, are significant. You might have a hard time falling asleep, wake up multiple times during the night, or notice that as the disease progresses there is daytime sleepiness. Sleep disturbances are prevalent both in care partners or caregivers and people living with cognitive impairment.

Dr. Brewster has developed the SLEEPMATE study for caregivers and people living with cognitive impairment and types of dementia. It’s a six-week virtual intervention where you participate together. The study examines whether the intervention is feasible, acceptable, and if it improves sleep outcomes. At the end of this blog post is the link you can use if you’re interested in participating in this virtual study.

This topic is incredibly valuable for us as caregivers. We’ve learned the need for quality sleep — and what not having it is like. We’ve also learned that we’re often so focused on quality sleep for our care receiver, we don’t prioritize our own sleep as caregivers!

One important take-away from Dr. Brewster for caregivers it’s so easy not to consider — or to lose sight of:

Your quality of sleep is every bit as important — and sometimes even more — important than your care receiver’s.

Full Show Notes here

Additional Resources Mentioned

• Dr. Glenna Brewster, assistant professor, shares her innovative study designed to improve the sleep outcomes of persons living with preclinical and early-stage dementia and their caregivers. Brewster is also founder of the Mind at Rest research lab.
• For more information about joining this study, visit mindatrest.org/contact/.
• Support the nonprofit The Caregiver's Journey: https://give.cornerstone.cc/thecaregiversjourney

Takeaways

Tip 1: Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

Tip 2: Limit Daytime Naps

Tip 3: Make Your Bedroom Like a Cave

Tip 4: Schedule Worry Time Earlier in the Day

Tip 5: Keep Your Bedroom for the Three S's

About the SLEEP-MATE Study

Dr. Brewster's study is recruiting pairs. The person who is receiving the care doesn't have to be diagnosed with dementia, just have a complaint or an experience of cognitive changes. Caregivers or care partners—different people want to be called di