15/03/2026
‘Is it typical for someone with dementia to sleep during the day?’
Yes, it is quite common for someone with dementia to spend a lot of time sleeping, both during the day and night.
Sleeping more and more is a common feature of later-stage dementia.
As the disease progresses, the damage to a person’s brain becomes more extensive and they gradually become weaker and frailer over time.
As a result, they may find it quite exhausting to do relatively simple tasks like communicating or eating.
The type of dementia a person has can affect their sleep.
People who have dementia caused by Lewy body disease are often sleepy by day but have very restless and disturbed nights. They may often unknowingly ‘act’ out their dreams by shouting and moving around in bed.
What should I do if a person with dementia is sleeping a lot?
It can be worrying, but if they don’t appear to be uncomfortable or distressed, then sleeping more during the day isn’t normally a reason to be worried.
However, if the excessive sleeping has started more suddenly, or the person doesn’t seem well in other ways, it may not be caused by dementia.
If this is the case you should speak to the GP to rule out any infections, other conditions, or to conduct a medication review.
If a person is lying down in bed and asleep for most of the time they will need to be looked after to make sure they don’t develop any physical health problems.
If they are living at home, then it’s important to get advice from your GP or nurse on how best to do this.
For information and advice call the Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456
