Sleep disturbances are one of the most exhausting and emotionally challenging aspects of dementia care. In this episode of Truth, Lies & Alzheimer’s, Lisa Skinner takes a compassionate and practical look at why sleep becomes disrupted in dementia and what caregivers can do to create safer, calmer nights for everyone involved.

Lisa explores the many ways dementia affects the brain’s natural sleep-wake cycle and explains how different types of dementia can present unique nighttime challenges. From sundowning and nighttime wandering to vivid dreams, daytime sleepiness, and fragmented sleep, this conversation helps caregivers better understand what may be happening beneath the surface.

Throughout the episode, Lisa shares realistic caregiver strategies designed to reduce stress and improve quality of life, including:

• Creating structured daily routines
• Increasing daytime light exposure and activity
• Managing naps and evening stimulation
• Improving bedroom comfort and safety
• Responding calmly to nighttime confusion or agitation
• Monitoring for wandering and fall risks
• Understanding when professional support may be needed

Lisa also discusses the importance of balancing safety with dignity and independence while supporting a loved one living with dementia.

As part of the conversation, Lisa highlights helpful monitoring and safety tools, including the Skil-Care SignalSafe Fall Monitor, a fall management device designed to alert caregivers when a person attempts to leave a bed, chair, or monitored area. The monitor includes features such as sensor pad compatibility, magnetic pull cords, nurse call integration, and customizable alert settings designed to help reduce alarm fatigue while improving nighttime safety.

This episode is filled with compassionate guidance, practical caregiving tools, and valuable insights for families navigating the difficult realities of sleep disruption in dementia care.

Resources Mentioned

• Skil-Care SignalSafe Fall Monitor
• Available on Amazon and through the Skil-Care website.
• Skil-Care
• Minding Dementia

About the Host:

Author Lisa Skinner is a behavioral specialist with expertise in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. In her 30+year career working with family members and caregivers, Lisa has taught them how to successfully navigate the many challenges that accompany this heartbreaking disease. Lisa is both a Certified Dementia Practitioner and is also a certified dementia care trainer through the Alzheimer’s Association. She also holds a degree in Human Behavior.

Her latest book, “Truth, Lies & Alzheimer’s – Its Secret Faces” continues Lisa’s quest of working with dementia-related illnesses and teaching families and caregivers how to better understand the daunting challenges of brain disease. Her #1 Best-seller book “Not All Who Wander Need Be Lost,” was written at their urging. As someone who has had eight family members diagnosed with dementia, Lisa Skinner has found her calling in helping others through the struggle so they can have a better-quality relationship with their loved ones through education and through her workshops on counter-intuitive solutions and tools to help people effectively manage the symptoms of brain disease. Lisa Skinner has appeared on many national and regional media broadcasts. Lisa helps explain behaviors caused by dementia, encourages those who feel burdened, and gives practical advice for how to respond.

So many people today are heavily impacted by Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. The Alzheimer's Association and the World Health Organization have projected that the number of people who will develop Alzheimer's disease by the year 2050 worldwide will triple if a treatment or cure is not found. Society is not prepared to care for the projected increase of people who will develop this devastating disease. In her 30 years of working with family members and caregivers who suffer from dementia, Lisa has recognized how little people really understand the complexities of what living with this disease is really like. For Lisa, it starts with knowledge, education, and training.

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