Clocks go forward 1 hour at 1am on the last Sunday in March. The clocks going forward can be a difficult time for a person living with dementia, but there are some things you can do to make the change less of a challenge and help them cope with the loss of an hour:
- Change clocks in the late afternoon/early evening on the Saturday, so that the person goes to bed an hour earlier and sleeps their usual amount of sleep
- Get out during the day so that the person may be more ready to go to bed earlier
- Try to avoid programmes that are shown at set times, like the news, as if you have moved the clocks forward early this will be very confusing for the person
- Have lunch and dinner an hour earlier on the Saturday, as this will help the person gently reorientate their body clock to the new time zone ahead
- Black out curtains to avoid the bright mornings
.If you, or someone in your life, requires information or emotional support, our 24 hour freephone Dementia Helpline is here for you on 0808 808 3000.