How much sleep is too much sleep?

General
21

Thank you @Moltroub for your insight, it is really helpful!

The last few days I noticed all mom wants to do is sleep, so I’m not sure if she’s sleepy or just down and wants to sleep. She will be sort of awake (responding to our questions asking if she’s cold or hot and responding to commands when changing her). I don’t know if it’s depression or what the deal is. She doesn’t want to participate in any exercises or she gets tired very easily. I was pretty upset this weekend cause I am just really worried about her mental state.

Since mom came home, the every other weekend family gatherings have not happened. Mom was typically the one that made sure they happened by calling everyone to ask if they were coming. Now, no one is coming unless it’s just to drop by and say hi, or to help take care of her. She has 5 grandchildren here, and 2 of my brother and I live in the area, 1 brother lives out of state but comes once a month for a week at a time to help and visit. Mom told my brother that she misses her family, and told my ex sister in law she misses the family barbecues. I text everyone and asked them to come over next Sunday cause mom really needs to see all of us together. I also asked the grandkids to stop by yesterday because I was not going to be around…so 3 of them came with one of my brothers and mom was playing cards. This made me UGLY cry, because she hasn’t wanted to do much of anything in a few weeks. So I’m hoping my family showing up every weekend (even if it’s not everyone) as a group will hopefully help her morale. I’m no longer the one she’s excited to see cause I’m the one that has her do stuff she doesn’t want to do lol.

I’m hoping spending time with them yesterday helped lift her spirits. We have a family GTG again this coming Sunday and hopefully this will help. I know too many people might be too much for her and wear her out, but I hope giving her what she wants (Seeing her family together) will help boost her morale.

Do you know what else can be done to help her?

Thanks again :heart:

22

@mcelly i think you getting the family together will help enormously! If she gets tired, she can do what all older folks do, fall asleep in their favorite chair. She sounds a good bit like my mom was, they just like the noise of a family, drama, laughter and love.

You might want to see if the grandkids will come over for an exercise day and do the stretches that your mom has to do with her. I remember when my Dad had one of his strokes, the grandkids would come by and one or two would tease the heck out of him which he loved. Another was quite the prankster, and though my mom would get a bit upset, dad loved it…he was quite the jokester himself. Once the grandkids got over their fear, they all had a great time so it took the pressure off of mom. They all had a turn at their favorite song, so multi-generational music going on. It was the normalcy of family I think helped him the best and it may be something you can use to get your mom to do her exercises. Family can be a great motivator…you might try saying the set of exercises is for…family member name…explain that the family needs her back to keep them all together, make jokes about her exercises, a lot of true encouragement and praise - don’t fake it she will know. It really depends on your mom’s personality, but laughter and love go a longer way than fear and low expectations.

Keep in touch, hope others can help out here…
Moltroub