my father's behavior tends to get worse when the Sun starts to go down he appears both exhausted and restless what can I do to help him get through this time of the day we did I put it dad where are you going my chips I can't find my checkbook we don't use checks anymore remember I pay all your bills online sit down and watch TV I just sort of North there's a show coming on you like debt sundowning or sun down there syndrome is a common behavior in people with dementia it typically occurs around sunset or early evening and it's characterized by confusion anxiety aggression agitation or ignoring directions it can also lead to pacing or wandering as dementia progresses it damages areas in the brain that regulate the internal clock this can disrupt the sleep and wake cycle and may appear as increased napping during the day and difficulty staying asleep at night the reduced light in the evening can trigger sundowning especially in someone who's extra tired anxious or who has pent-up energy from a boring day dad what are you doing where is you know it is dark in here why don't we brighten things up and see what we're looking for my chick book the checks we ordered haven't come in yet why don't we go look at that photo album sundowning isn't a disease but rather a group of symptoms that occur at a specific time of day the exact cause of sundowning behavior is unknown but there are ways to help you if your loved one display symptoms related the Sun downing change the environment by making sure rooms are well-lit and free from shadows close the drapes lines and adjust lighting is necessary this should help your father understand better prevent confusion fear and agitation create a calm environment free of loud noises or disruptions be patient and distract your loved one with a relaxing enjoyable activity try to provide your loved one with enough activity during the day but not so much that they become overly fatigue limit daytime napping to a couple of hours