A psychologist has delved into a little-known sign of dementia and ways for patients to help manage it. Dr Kellyn Lee, who heads up The Dementia Care Hub, highlighted that this particular symptomtends to intensify during afternoon hours, often leaving loved ones baffled.

"This can happen at any time of day, but what we see a lot with people living with dementiais that it can happen in the afternoon," she said in a TikTok earlier this year. "So, what I would be looking at is this would be, again, asymptom of anxiety and agitation and maybe increased confusion."

Dr Lee is describing a phenomenon known as 'sundowning', where dementia patients display increasingly erratic behaviour during late afternoon and early evening periods. Throughout these episodes, people may become exceptionally distressed and could also suffer from hallucinations and delusions.

Although the precise triggers behind sundowning are not fully understood, the Alzheimer's Society suggests it is not necessarily connected to dusk. Instead, it is more likely driven by immediate unaddressed requirements, which could encompass:

• Disturbed hormone levels


• Side effects of prescribed drugs


• Sensory impairment, including sight loss


• Hunger, pain or other unmet physical needs


• Disturbance to the person's 'body clock' caused by damage to the brain


• Overstimulation during the daytime


• Overtiredness


• Lack of exposure to sunlight


• Lack of interaction with other people or carers (if relevant)


• Mood disorders, including anxiety and depression

• 'World' top doctors' explain how they avoid getting sick

• Gran dies months after dizziness misdiagnosed as depression

"Sundowning can happen at any stage of dementia but is more common during the middle stage and later stages," guidance from Alzheimer's Society adds. "Some of these are related to the time of day, and others may happen at any time. Try to identify which of these problems might be affecting the person, as each problem may need a different treatment."

If you suspect your loved one could be experiencing sundowning, Dr Lee recommends keeping a log of the symptoms you notice at different points during the day.

According to Surrey Live, in the video, she continued: "So, what I would be looking at doing is noting down when this is happening and what's happening. There are tablets that can be used, such as lorazepam.

"Absolutely these drugs are drugs that need to be taken with caution because they are highly addictive. So, some GPs may not want to prescribe them. However, I think we really need to balance the risk of addiction compared to the fact the person has dementia."

Whilst dementia symptoms can vary depending on the specific form, common early indicators may include:

• Mood changes


• Difficulty concentrating


• Finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping


• Memory loss


• Struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word


• Being confused about time and place

The NHS encourages anyone experiencing these warning signs to seek medical advice. Its advice adds: "There is currently no cure for dementia. But there are medicines and other treatments that can help with dementia symptoms.

"Most of the medicines available are used to treat Alzheimer's disease as this is the most common form of dementia. They can help to temporarily reduce symptoms."

For more information, head to the NHS website.