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Fatigue and Sleep Changes
Large surveys of Parkinson’ s care partners show that nearly three-quarters experience excessive tiredness, and 60 percent report chronic sleep loss.
The stresses of care partnering, your loved one’ s sleep troubles or changes in your own sleep can all contribute. People with Parkinson’ s might move a lot during sleep, have vivid dreams, yell or act out their dreams or get up during the night, which could increase risk for falls. Even if your loved one generally sleeps well, you might wake up worried or want to check on them.
Good sleep is more than how many hours you spend in bed. Experts determine the quality of sleep through three factors: how much you sleep( seven to nine hours per night is the general recommendation, but this varies from person to person), whether sleep is uninterrupted and refreshing and if you follow a consistent sleep schedule.
Not getting enough quality sleep impacts mood and decreases energy, which can make it tough to manage stress and steady emotions. Tiredness can increase irritability, lower patience and make sadness or worry harder to shake. Over time, a lack of good sleep can take a toll on you and your ability to care for your loved one.
Protect your sleep wherever you can. For example:
+ Set a consistent wake time and bedtime, within about an hour of the same time each day.
+ Create a relaxing, pre-bedtime wind-down routine in which you take a bath, read a book, meditate or journal about the day.
+ Turn off all screens at least an hour before bed.
+ Make your bedroom cool, dark and cozy. White noise or nature sounds may lull you to sleep.
+ Take a short nap in the early afternoon, if helpful, while your loved one does the same. Ideally, this is about 20 minutes and no later than 3 p. m.
Care partners who are also bed partners may choose to sleep in a different room so both they and their loved one can rest better. Some may also ask a family member or close friend to spend the night or hire an overnight caregiver to attend to their loved one’ s needs so they can sleep. These adjustments can be hard when you are used to sharing a bed with someone you love, but there are ways to maintain connection and intimacy. For example, make time to be together in the same bed each night before sleep or each morning just after waking up.
Mood Changes
Mood changes such as depression and anxiety are more common among care partners. Not everyone experiences these conditions, but if you do, it’ s important to be proactive in addressing them.
It can be difficult to know what’ s normal sadness or stress of being a care partner and what might be depression or anxiety. Feelings that stay with you constantly, cloud your actions and views and otherwise impact your day-to-day signal a possible mood change. For more, turn to Emotions vs. Moods: What’ s the Difference?
Monitor moods by working with a therapist, regularly checking in with a close friend( ask them to help keep tabs on your mood) or keeping a journal. Pay attention to feelings and symptoms that can accompany mood changes, like eating or sleeping a lot more or less; regular pain, stomach upset or headaches; constant fatigue; hopelessness; lack of enjoyment; or sadness or worry that won’ t let up.
Seek help at the first sign of mood changes: There are many treatment options, including medication, talk therapy and exercise. Mood changes aren’ t something you can( or should) try to pull yourself out of alone. They also aren’ t character flaws or signs of weakness. They are treatable medical conditions, and the right treatments can help you feel better and care better for both yourself and your loved one.
Feelings of extreme distress or thoughts of harming yourself or others are a medical emergency. Get help immediately by calling or texting the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
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