What sundowning is — and what it isn't
Sundowning is the collection of behavioural and cognitive changes that appear in some people with dementia as afternoon becomes evening. It is not a stage of the disease. It is not a behaviour problem. It is, most usefully, an environmental phenomenon we can influence.
The lighting rule
Turn every light on thirty minutes before you would naturally reach for the switch. Contrast, not ambience, is the goal.
The 4pm reset
A short walk, a warm drink, a familiar piece of music. Ritualise the transition into evening and the transition softens.
When to call in support
If sundowning is producing safety incidents — wandering, falls, aggression — the household needs a specialised memory-care caregiver, at least through the evening window.
