Sundowning
What is sundowning? Symptoms, causes, timing, and what helps
Sundowning is the late-day rise in confusion and agitation that many people living with dementia experience. Here's what it looks like, why it may happen, and what helps.
Caregiver guides
Sundowning in dementia: what it is and what helps
Why late-day confusion happens, how to calm it in the moment, and how to make evenings easier.
Sundowning is the rise in confusion, anxiety and agitation that many people living with Alzheimer's and other dementias experience from late afternoon into the night. It is one of the most common and most exhausting parts of dementia care, and it tends to arrive exactly when caregivers have the least energy left.
These guides take it in the order families usually need it: first understanding what sundowning is, then calming an episode that is already happening, then making evenings easier so episodes come less often. Because a sudden change in confusion can be something more urgent, we also cover how to tell sundowning from delirium.
Every guide is written from published guidance by organizations such as the Alzheimer's Association, the National Institute on Aging and the NHS, and lists its sources. Read how we write and update our guides.
New to this? Start with What is sundowning? Symptoms, causes, timing, and what helps.
Sundowning
5 guides on sundowning
Sundowning
How to calm someone who is sundowning: 12 de-escalation techniques
What to do in the moment an evening episode starts — how to approach, what to say, what to avoid, and how to bring your loved one back to calm.
Sundowning
How to prevent sundowning: a daily routine for calmer evenings
Most of what prevents a hard evening happens earlier in the day. A practical routine for light, naps, meals, activity, and a calm evening that can reduce sundowning.
Sundowning
Sundowning vs. delirium: how to tell the difference and when to get help
Sundowning is a familiar evening pattern. Delirium is a sudden change that needs a doctor. Here's how to tell them apart, and what to do if you're not sure.
Sundowning
When someone with dementia wants to go home: what to say and do
Why a person living with dementia asks to go home when they're already there, what to say in the moment, and how to keep them safe if they head for the door.
Questions
Common questions about sundowning
What time of day does sundowning start?
Most often in the late afternoon or early evening, around dusk, and it can continue into the night. The exact timing varies from person to person, which is why tracking episodes for a week or two is so useful. See what is sundowning.
Can sundowning be stopped?
There is no cure, but many families see fewer and milder episodes with a steady routine, daylight, a calmer evening and gentle de-escalation. See how to prevent sundowning and how to calm sundowning.
When is late-day confusion an emergency?
Confusion that comes on suddenly over hours or days, or is very different from the person's usual pattern, can be delirium, which needs a doctor the same day. See sundowning vs. delirium.
When the evening starts to slip, have a familiar voice ready
Hamton calls your loved one in the voice of someone they trust, using validation, reminiscence, and gentle redirection to guide them back to calm.
See how it works