- With Mayo Clinic clinical neuropsychologist
Glenn Smith, Ph.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Glenn Smith, Ph.D.
Glenn Smith, Ph.D.
Dr. Glenn Smith is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist who specializes in Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Smith, a Lincoln, Neb., native, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1990 and works with neurologists, psychiatrists, internists, social workers and nurses involved in diagnosing and providing care for people with dementia and their families.
"For Alzheimer's disease, there is currently no cure," he says. "The best 'medicine' for patient and family remains education and support. Hopefully, Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's disease Web resources contribute to compassionate care and understanding for Alzheimer's families."
Dr. Smith is a professor of psychology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, a consultant in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, and principal investigator of the Mayo Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Education Core. He is past president of the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology.
Risk factors (2)
- Alzheimer's: Can a head injury increase my risk?
- Oophorectomy (ovary removal): A risk factor for dementia?
Symptoms (1)
- Sundowning: Late-day confusion
Tests and diagnosis (2)
- Rapid-onset Alzheimer's: Could it be something else?
- Alzheimer's test: Detection at the earliest stages
Complications (1)
- Phantosmia: What causes olfactory hallucinations?
Treatments and drugs (4)
- Folic acid supplements: Can they slow cognitive decline?
- Alzheimer's nose spray: New Alzheimer's treatment?
- Vitamin B-12: Can it improve memory in Alzheimer's?
- see all in Treatments and drugs
Alternative medicine (4)
- Axona: Medical food to treat Alzheimer's
- Phosphatidylserine supplements: Can they improve memory?
- Vitamin B-12: Can it improve memory in Alzheimer's?
- see all in Alternative medicine
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Sundowning: Late-day confusion
What is sundowning?
Answer
from Glenn Smith, Ph.D.
The term "sundowning" refers to a state of confusion at the end of the day and into the night. Sundowning isn't a disease, but a symptom that often occurs in people with dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. The cause isn't known. But factors that may aggravate late-day confusion include:
- Fatigue
- Low lighting
- Increased shadows
Some tips for reducing this type of disorientation in your loved one with dementia:
- Plan for activities and exposure to light during the day to encourage nighttime sleepiness.
- Limit caffeine and sugar to morning hours.
- Serve dinner early and offer a light snack before bedtime.
- Keep a night light on to reduce agitation that occurs when surroundings are dark or unfamiliar.
- In a strange or unfamiliar setting such as a hospital, bring familiar items such as photographs or a radio from home.
When sundowning occurs in a care facility, it may be related to the flurry of activity during staff shift changes. Staff arriving and leaving may cue some people with Alzheimer's to want to go home or to check on their children — or other behaviors that were appropriate in the late afternoon in their past. It may help to occupy their time during that period.
Next questionRapid-onset Alzheimer's: Could it be something else?
- Sleeplessness and sundowning. Alzheimer's Association. Accessed Jan. 5, 2009.
- Francis J. Diagnosis of delirium and confusional states. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 5, 2009.
- Sharer J. Tackling sundowning in a patient with Alzheimer's diasease. MedSurg Nursing: The Journal of Adult Health. 2008;17:27.
- Glenn Smith (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 19, 2009.
