All my mother wants to do all day is sleep. Should I be concerned?

Is your mother otherwise healthy and mobile? Does she have outside activities, friends, church, etc. or people who visit? Sounds like she may be depressed or is just not getting enough physical activity. When you get older your world becomes smaller. If she does not have enough things to keep her engaged, she may just be giving up.
I would try therapy or getting her involved in things she enjoys before resorting to meds.

My 82 year old father falls asleep constantly during the day, even in the middle of eating or in front of the computer. I saw him fall asleep in the car after he parked it, but before he got out. He exercises daily (about 4 mile walk/jog) and eats right. Once, he fell asleep driving on the freeway and totaled their car. He has been evaluated by a sleep clinic, but he is so nervous about being at the doctor he didn't fall asleep for them. He has mild sleep apnea, is very slender and as far as we know healthy. Any ideas?

My mother falls asleep a lot, she just barely gets started watching a movie or reading a book and drifts off to sleep. Then later she will wake up and be really upset that she had fallen asleep and missed a movie or tv show and didn't get the reading done that she wanted to do. It is very frustrating for her, as she used to do a lot to keep herself busy and her mind busy. She worked until she was 80 years old. Now she is upset because she doesn't have the energy to work anymore, her back hurts all the time when she stands up, the macular degeneration is getting worse in her eyes, and she has a lot of pain in her face from trigeminal neuralgia. She is so heavily medicated from the neuralgia that she can't stay awake for very long. We are trying a series of shots for the neuralgia, but we have to travel four hours to get there and back,

My 82 year old mother is sleeping a lot during the day too anything from 40-60% of the day. She seems in fair physical condition, she takes a walk daily, she has things she likes to do, visits my aunt regularly and my uncle as well as other friends. My brother and I spend a lot of time with her. Is this part of the ageing process? This isn't a problem I am just curious.

My mother in law had a new hip replacement Feb 2010 that was just recently xrayed and she is fine now. She use to walk on a cane and drive but now will not give up her walker, can not drive and sleeps all the time. Her husband died in August almost 65 years of marriage. So is she giving up?

All that my 82 year old dad wants to do is sleep...he is very weak, does not eat or drink much anymore he is diabetic with a weak heart is this typical...in bed about 23 hours/day?

My father, who passed away 11 months ago, used to call me and complain that my mother would not let him take a nap. Since he was 83 at the time, I think he deserved sleeping when he felt the need to do so. He still kept up with the news, had a few interests, but was slowing down. My mother, who is 82, would call me and complain that my father wanted to take naps, and she just didn't understand the need for it. She is a hyper person but does fall asleep when she least expects it. I think the first thing to check is health concerns when a parent sleeps too much ,and then accept that our parents have different needs for sleep. My father realized he was aging faster and was older than my mother and recognized his need for rest. I finally told my mother that anyone over the age of 70 deserved to take a nap when they needed to. She just sniffed and disagreed. The situation did have its humor. My father used to hide from her on their farm to take his naps. I knew his hiding places ,but Mom never realized he had them. Dad was just too tired to argue with her . :)

Question, I'm sure not an expert, but I have read that sleeping 23 hours a day and refusing food and drink can be signs that end-of-life is near. I suppose it could be that he has a temporary illness. How long as this been going on? Does he seem to have other symptoms such as having flu or a uti?

Where does Dad live? (With you, on his own, long term care facility, etc) Are there professionals involved in his care?

I think this definitely warrants a medical evaluation.

dad lives with my mom she is the primary care giver i am their daily to assist...he breathes heavily when sleeping and has troubleeven raising his limbs even a bit-we were told by doctor hospice care

Question, have you called in Hospice? I think that you and your mom would find that very comforting.

Dr. OZ says the worst thing we can do for our elderly is to baby them. So maybe if I quit doing everything for my mom maybe she won't have time to sleep so much?

My dad is 69, lives alone and doesn't exercise at all. He weighs 134 lbs. and sleeps all the time. I feel like he is depressed but how do I get him to realize this? Any Dr. would tell him to first and foremost get some exercise. Well, I have suggested this and he just feels no need for this since he is thin, I guess only fat people need exercise in his mind. what to do?

I am a pretty healthy 82 woman-------with a mild heart condition------and sleep and watch tv during the day-------I force myself to do the nesseary things to keep the house presentable---I go to an exercise class once a week------church and eat out on Sundays---there are other small things I do also with my family a couple times a month-----my question is AM i LAZY------also have arthritis some.

Question is from 2010? Just noticed. Guess things are coming around again....

My mom sleeps alot, guess it is the time to relax and let nature takes her course. I don't know.

From my experiences with my mom, she would fall asleep during a conversation. I found out that she was over medication with her meds.

That's over medicating

my mother is 80 years old she has hypothyroide . high blood presure and narrowing of the valves last 2 weeks she sleeps a lot during the day she eats very little and often

A note of caution for caregivers of diabetic elders: my mom is 83 diabetic and quite frail. If I don't keep tabs on her she will go back to sleep after breakfast and am insulin and then sleep through until pm missing lunch and sugar level check. You can't do insulin and the not eat. She goes into a coma and then it's off to the er and another close call. I found that part of the problem was to much pain meds in the am and things have been much better once we got that fixed. Otherwise, she's 83, she wants long naps , fine. I'm only 60 and I like a " power" nap once in a while.

My Mom is 92, she thinks she sleepswell, but because of her OCP she does cough alot at night. When she wakes up I give her breakfast: Oatmeal, w/bananas and raisens. And a waffle with jam. Then she sleeps, doesn't get dressed anymore. Give her lunch, then she goes back to sleep. She sleeps until dinner and she eats dinner then goes to bed.

I'd give anything if mine would sleep. She pops up out of bed even if she has only been there for 10 minutes and thinks it is time to get up. She makes the bed every time, so I have to turn it back and get her back in, then she is up again. This goes on for up to 2 hours a night trying to get her to sleep. So.....as problems go, I'd trade any day.

My mother is 89. I'm concern alla she wants to do is sleep and sleep. What's worries me is that when I talk to her over the phone she sound extremly exhausted. And all she tells me is I want to sleep I want to sleep. I feel she is drifting away. I live three hours away. I am so worried

Carmenlebron, does your mother live alone? Is there any relative or close friend who lives near her that you could talk to? Would it work for you to make an appointment for a medical exam and make the trip to take her to it?

Until you know a medical diagnosis it is very difficult to figure out what to do!