Lack of sleep - or sleeping at the wrong time - really affects our health and quality of life. We feel tired and irritable, and find it hard to concentrate and make decisions. Lack of sleep can impair our immune system and accelerate conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. Sleeping at the wrong time can be just as problematic. Some older people find they can sleep in the daytime but less so at night, which is not only unnatural but inconvenient. Older people with dementia have particular sleep problems. Many of them are drowsy in the day and active at night, which can exasperate and exhaust their families and carers.

People with Alzheimer's disease often develop an additional problem - sleeping at random times throughout the day and night. Current medications cannot control it and the problem tends to make other symptoms worse. When night becomes day, Alzheimer's patients are virtually impossible to manage at home. A sleep disorder is often the final straw for carers, making residential care a necessity.