5 Tips for Daylight Savings and Alzheimer’s Disease
Each year in the fall and spring, we adjust our clocks for Daylight Saving Time.
While this shift may feel like a minor inconvenience for most people, even a one-hour change can have a significant impact on individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Changes in time and daylight hours can increase feelings of disorientation, agitation, and symptoms of sundowning in older adults.
Daylight Saving Time can be especially challenging for young children and for those living with memory impairment. In both cases, individuals may not fully understand why their routine suddenly feels different. For someone living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, the disruption to their circadian rhythm can feel confusing and unsettling, without any clear explanation as to why.
With all the recent snowy weather, it’s hard to picture anything spring-like, but this weekend we “spring ahead” as Daylight Saving Time begins. On Sunday, March 8, 2026, clocks will move ahead by one hour. Whether we are preparing to spring forward or fall back later in the year, there are thoughtful steps we can take to ease the transition and help those living with Alzheimer’s or dementia adjust more comfortably to the new cycle of light.
We share a few tips for adjust to daylight savings, these tips are helpful for anyone struggling to adjust to daylight savings but especially older adults.
5 Tips to help with Daylight Savings:
- Routine: routine is so important when dealing with Alzheimer’s or dementia, keeping a routine no matter the season is important to create stability and reduce confusion. Be sure to include exercise as part of your daily routine. Getting regular exercise will encourage more restful sleep and a good sleep schedule. Click here to learn more about the Barre Balance Exercise class all Northbridge communities incorporate into our programming schedules.
- Plan your activities: your morning and daytime activities should be engaging, stimulating and active. If possible, they should involve the outdoors, fresh air and sunlight. In the afternoon and nighttime start winding down a little bit and keep the activities calm and relaxing. Think soft music, reading or mediation. Tip: create a positive ‘to-do’ list to keep spirits up at all points of the day, especially when you sense agitation.
- Limit caffeine: limit caffeine and sugar to the earlier parts of the day, this will help with a more restful nighttime routine.
- Sleeping habits: sleep is such an important part of overall health and adjustments to a normal sleep schedule may lead to agitation and disorientation. If you find that sleep is being disrupted, be sure to check these three things: is it dark enough, is it quiet enough, and is it cool enough. Be sure to do your best to limit the amount of naps taken during the day to ensure tiredness at night.
- Lighting: natural light is important and has many benefits but as it starts to get dark earlier it is important that all rooms are well lit. Providing adequate lighting ensures increased visibility and reduces shadows that may be disorienting and cause confusion for someone living with memory impairment. Be sure to use soft lights and as the night continues on start to dim them to signal that it’s going to be time for bed soon.
What is sundowning and why is it more apparent during daylight savings?
Sundowning is not a disease but a set of symptoms that often occur in the late afternoon for those living with memory impairment.
These symptoms include: confusion, anxiety, aggression, pacing and wondering
Daylight savings is tough on the circadian rhythm of most people but especially those living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Depending on how far progressed a person is with Alzheimer’s or dementia, they may not understand that we are setting our clocks back and only feel an unwelcome adjustment to their circadian rhythm. Sticking to a routine will help with keeping circadian rhythm as normal as possible while the body adjusts to daylight savings. It is important to be patient as we adjust to the new light cycle that daylight savings causes and remember the tips we mention above.
At Northbridge all of our associates receive dementia training to help keep our residents safe, happy and engaged. Residents in our Avita Memory Care neighborhood benefit from a robust calendar of engaging programs from when they wake up to when they go to sleep. All residents also benefit from customized care plans and our care team available 24/7 if the need arises.
If you are a spouse caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia, check out our blog, When One Partner Has Dementia and the Other Doesn’t: Senior Living Options to learn about how senior living may be beneficial to both of you!
We’re here to answer any of your questions and invite you to download our complimentary guide Just the Facts: Your Guide to Memory Care. Please contact us if we can provide further information or if you would like to schedule a personalized tour.
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