The term sundowning refers to a state of confusion occurring in the late afternoon and spanning into the night. Sundowning can cause a variety of behaviour, such as confusion anxiety, agitation, hallucinations pacing and disorientation.
This behaviour tends to occur later in the afternoon or towards the end of the day. making it hard for them to get enough sleep.
Sundowning can happen at any stage of dementia but is more common during the middle stage and later stages.