sundowning

[suhn-dou-ning]

noun

1. Psychiatry.,  a state of confusion, disorientation, or anxiety seen late in the day or at night, especially in dementia patients, likely as a result of strange surroundings, drug effects, decreased sensory input, or reduction of oxygen supply to the brain.

   Two randomized controlled trials of the new drug have found a significant improvement in sundowning and other agitated behavior.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sundowning¹

First recorded in 1870–75, for an earlier sense; sundown ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

In later stages, patients often experience "sundowning," a period of increased confusion and agitation that tends to occur later in the day.

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His sundowning spells leave everyone exhausted.

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He turned in yet another weirdly checked-out performance and continued a losing streak that was only briefly broken up when he faced off against an opponent who was slightly more advanced in his sundowning, three months earlier.

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They note that there is a well-known phenomenon among individuals with Alzheimer's disease called "sundowning," in which agitation increases in the afternoon and early evening.

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"It's conceivable that the higher afternoon activity we observed is a signal of 'preclinical sundowning,'" Spira says.

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