The term sundowning refers to a state of confusion occurring in the late afternoon and spanning into the night. Sundowning can cause a variety of behaviour, such as confusion,
Sometimes you might see changes in the person’s behaviour in the later afternoon or towards the end of the day. During this time the person may become intensely distressed, agitated and have hallucinations or delusions. This may continue into the night, making it hard for them to get enough sleep.
This is sometimes known as ‘sundowning’ but is not necessarily linked to the sun setting or limited to the end of the day. Sundowning can happen at any stage of dementia but is more common during the middle stage and later stages.