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Dementia: restless behaviours
Some people with dementia become more confused, anxious or restless in the late afternoon or early evening.
This is sometimes called “sundowning”. When it happens, the person may:
- become more demanding, upset or suspicious
- find it harder to concentrate or pay attention to things
- see, hear or believe things that aren’t real
- believe they’re in the wrong place, and want to “go home” or “find Mum”
- become more impulsive.
These are some common causes, and some things you can try if someone close to you with dementia experiences restlessness in the afternoon.
- Organisation:
- Dementia Australia
- Topic:
- Dementia
- Target audience:
- General, Parents or carers
- Service area:
- National
- Published:
- August 2024
- Last reviewed:
- September 2025
English
Dementia: restless behaviours
Multilingual resources
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