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Trouble sleeping

Certain symptoms, like restlessness, anxiety, agitation, disorientation, and confusion, tend to get worse as the day goes on and even continue through the night, often resulting in difficulty sleeping and wandering.

Experts call this phenomenon “sundowning,” and it can be due to exhaustion, changes in the person’s biological clock, the inability to separate dreams from reality, and a decreased need for sleep that can occur with age.

As much as 20% of Alzheimer’s patients experience sundowning at some point, and it’s a common reason that family members decide to put their loved one in a nursing home.

Next: Clingy or childlike behavior