For many, making lifestyle adjustments that promote better sleep habits is certainly a trying task; however, imagine the magnitude of difficulty a patient with Alzheimer's disease might face carrying out the same assignment.

Fortunately, there's no need to rely on sleep drugs to obtain proper rest, for according to a study of 36 Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers, behavioral techniques that are known to improve sleep in non-demented institutionalized adults may also hold beneficial effects for Alzheimer's patients who suffer from nighttime insomnia.

Sleep Study

Researchers analyzed whether a comprehensive sleep education program--Nighttime Insomnia Treatment and Education for Alzheimer's Disease (NITE-AD)--could improve sleep habits in patients with Alzheimer's living at home with family caregivers.

Patients were divided equally into two groups:

• The NITE-AD group, whose caregivers were given specific recommendations about developing a natural sleep hygiene program (i.e. walking daily for 30 minutes and increasing daily light exposure by 1 hour using a light box).

• The control group, who merely received general dementia education and caregiver support.

Compared to the start of the study, specific natural techniques used in the NITE-AD group improved patients' abilities to get to sleep and stay that way by about one-third. Moreover, NITE-AD patients had less daytime sleepiness and their levels of depression were significantly lower as well.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society May 2005;53(5):793

Reuters June 10, 2005

Gary Craig's Comments:

Proper sleep, of course, is vital to everyone and is particularly crucial for those with challenging diseases such as Alzheimer's. Fortunately, the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can assist with not only the symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease but it can also address any insomnia that may be related to it. This insomnia feature of EFT has wide applicability for almost everyone. An example of EFT's insomnia relief is given by Jean Akin's article on the EFT Web site. In that article she says,

" ... one afternoon I tapped for insomnia, and that very night I was asleep in fifteen minutes ... I then had a horrific nightmare that woke me up screaming. So I got up and went into the living room and tapped for the specific nightmare, and then tapped for nightmares in general, and for any remaining insomnia. I went back to bed and quickly went to sleep, no more nightmares ... "

Note: Those without an EFT background can receive an orientation by getting the free EFT Get Started Package, including a free download of the 79-page EFT Manual (it includes all the basics). Those wishing to save time and dive right in can get our very affordable training videos.