Many people living with dementia become more confused, anxious, or agitated in the late afternoon and evening. It is often called sundowning. It is exhausting for the person and for whoever is caring for them, especially when it disrupts sleep for everyone.
What often helps
- Keep days active and mornings bright: daylight, a walk, a set time to get up.
- Limit caffeine and long naps late in the day.
- Turn lights on before dusk, close curtains, and keep evenings quiet and predictable.
- Look for triggers: hunger, pain, needing the bathroom, too much noise, a TV news channel.
- Ask the doctor to review medications and check for infections, which can make confusion suddenly worse.
When it is time for more help
If evenings now involve trying to leave the house, hitting or throwing things, or nobody in the home is getting a full night of sleep, the situation has outgrown what one family caregiver can safely handle. A memory care community or a dementia-capable board and care home has staff awake and on shift through the evening and night, which is exactly when sundowning peaks.
What to ask a home
Ask how many caregivers are on duty from 4pm to midnight, what they do when a resident becomes agitated, and whether they have cared for residents with sundowning before. A good answer is specific. We ask these questions for you before we suggest a home.
Reviewed October 2, 2026. General information, not medical or legal advice. Talk with your loved one's doctor about their health.