A lot of older adults are sun-downing. What it is and why it’s dangerous...

You’ve heard of sleepwalking – but what about sun-downing? 

According to Dr. John Whyte, author of “Is This Normal?” sun-downing is a condition that tends to occur in older adults. Similar to sleepwalking, sun-downers often wander about the house late at night. The difference is, sun-downers a not fully asleep. They’re partly conscious but confused and can even be combative.

Dr. Whyte says you can distinguish sun-downing from sleepwalking by the person’s degree of engagement. Sun-downers can interact with other people while sleepwalkers usually don’t. If you live with a sun-downer, you need to see a doctor. It can be a sign of early-stage dementia. Sun-downing can also be a side effect of medications such as antidepressants, sleeping pills or pain killers wearing off.