Sundowning
Sundowning: What Helps in the Late Afternoon
Many families in Burlington and Newton notice their mother or father becomes more restless or upset as the afternoon turns to evening.
Memory care at home · 7 minute read
The short answer
Sundowning is the term for increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation that often appears in the late afternoon or early evening in someone with dementia. It is usually driven by tiredness, hunger, fading light, or too much noise, and a few practical changes can often settle it.
What late-day agitation looks like
Sundowning can show up as pacing, repeated questions, irritability, trouble settling, or a sudden insistence on going home even when the person is already home. It typically starts in the late afternoon and can continue into the evening.
It is not the same every day. Some afternoons pass quietly and others do not, which can make it feel unpredictable, but there are usually common threads once you look for them.
Common triggers
A few factors show up again and again in families' experience with sundowning. Identifying which ones apply to your father can help you plan around them.
- Tiredness built up over the day, especially without a rest period
- Hunger or thirst, sometimes not recognized or expressed clearly
- Fading natural light, which can make shadows and rooms feel unfamiliar
- Household noise or activity picking up, such as a shift change or family arriving home
- A new or changed face in the room, including a caregiver the person does not recognize yet
- Pain or discomfort that has not been named, such as a sore hip or a full bladder
Practical things that help
Turning on lights before the room gets dim, rather than after, keeps the space feeling familiar instead of shadowy. Keeping the late afternoon calm and low-stimulation, with soft music instead of the television news, can also make a real difference.
A light snack and something to drink around 3 or 4 in the afternoon addresses hidden hunger or thirst before it turns into restlessness. Scheduling more demanding tasks, visits, or errands earlier in the day, and keeping the evening simple and quiet, tends to reduce the intensity of this period.
How to respond in the moment
When agitation starts, it usually helps more to lower the noise and pace of the room than to explain or reason with the person. Speak in a calm, low voice, and avoid arguing about facts, since correcting someone in this state rarely settles them and often does the opposite.
Redirecting to a simple, familiar activity, like folding a towel or looking at photos, can shift attention away from the distress. If your mother insists on going home, it is often more effective to go along with the feeling behind the request, such as reassuring her she is safe here, rather than repeating that she already is home.
When to mention it to the doctor
If sundowning is new, worsening, or paired with other changes such as pain, a change in appetite, or a fall, it is worth telling the doctor. Some of what looks like sundowning can be related to an infection, poor sleep, or a medication effect, and the doctor is the right person to sort that out.
A Kinstead caregiver present in the late afternoon can watch for the pattern, note what seemed to help or not help, and share that information with your family so you have specifics ready for the doctor.
Questions people ask
Common questions
- Why does agitation happen mostly in the late afternoon?
- Tiredness has built up over the day, light is changing, and household activity often increases as family members come home, all of which can be harder for someone with dementia to process at once.
- Does sundowning mean the dementia is getting worse?
- Not necessarily. Sundowning can happen at any stage and does not by itself mean the condition has progressed. It is more a pattern tied to time of day than a marker of severity.
- Should I turn on all the lights in the house?
- You do not need every light on, but keeping the main living areas well lit before it gets dark outside helps avoid the confusing shadows that dim light can create.
- Can a caregiver be there specifically during this time of day?
- Yes. Some families schedule a Kinstead caregiver's visit to cover the late afternoon and early evening specifically because that is when extra calm and attention are most useful.
- Is medication used for sundowning?
- Some doctors consider medication in certain cases, but that decision is between your family and the doctor. Kinstead caregivers follow the schedule the doctor set and report changes, but do not manage medications.
Keep reading
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What to Say When Someone Repeats the Same Question
Practical ways to respond when someone with dementia repeats the same question, from Massachusetts home care caregivers.
Dementia Home Safety Checklist, Room by Room
A room-by-room home safety checklist for dementia, covering the kitchen, bathroom, exits, lighting, driving, and wandering.