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Husband is 87, very thin, no short term memory. No one seems to be able to tell us why he needs to sleep so much. 15,16 hours a day. Won't drink enough so is dehydrated. Any ideas?

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Good news that he got out of bed and had some food and drink. Just keep offering him juice as much as you can. Maybe try pedialyte.

I had no idea that 87 year olds still had a high sex drive. wow. would it be too much to give him a handjob? He may just need some relief.
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Thanks so much for your answers.
The blood work shows the dehydration problem. We're doing a chart on the white board - he did get up to drink and eat cereal. Good start - is back in bed now.
This problem is hard for me. We have been married for 62 years - happily so. But his sex drive is still very high - I have no interest. This morning he was angry because we didn't have sex last night --- wednesday night used to be a time for us. It's hard to deal with his anger about this.
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Onlygirl, this was my experience with Mom before she died too. A lot of sleep.

Emartin, there is not much you can do. Your husband is reacting the way his body is telling him to. Try not to make him feel guilty for sleeping so much. (not saying you are doing that, just saying...). If you're worried about hydration, maybe try waking him up periodically to sip on some water or juice. He will go back to sleep without much problem.
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Need a little more info on his physical health. My father began to do this prior to his death in May 2013. He was 90. He probably had ALZ disease but definitely dementia. Dehydration will cause you to sleep. Does he need fluids to be given to him through an IV? If there are no underlying medical conditions, his muscles will become weaker because he is not moving. If possible, get him outside in the light, a car ride perhaps?

My father, realizing that he could not leave where he was living, simply gave up. He had a very specific Advanced Directive. It was hard to watch but we did everything we could. He had to be the one who wanted to live. We could not make him.

Hopefully, this is not the case with your husband. Dehydration can also lead to kidney issues and failure. Again, contact the doctor to make sure there are no underlying medical issues. My best to you. You are a good advocate for your husband!
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