Hello, Sleep disturbance is common among the elderly due to various reasons like: 1) Chronic medical conditions like arthritis, musculoskeletal pains, cardiac disease, thyroid disorders, diabetes mellitus, COPD, gastric ulcer or gastro esophageal reflux, nocturia, urinary incontinence, dementia, Alzheimer s disease, menopause 2) Abuse of substances like caffeine, tobacco, alcohol 3) Behavioral or psychological stressors like daytime napping, watching tv at night, lack of exercise during day time, death of a partner, loneliness, prolonged hospitalization 4) Environmental causes like noise, excessive light, lack of a comfortable bedding Excess heat or cold 5)Medications Psychostimulants; antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors); anti-hypertensives (beta‐blocker, alpha‐blocker); antiparkinsonian drugs (levodopa); bronchodilators (theophylline); steroids; antihistamines (H1 and H2 blockers); anticholinergics; alcohol; interferons 6) Sleep apnea syndrome 7) Restless leg syndrome 8) Circadian rhythm sleep‐wake disorders The above list appears to be exhaustive but don t worry just check if your mom has any of the above. To those patients who come with sleep disturbance, I would suggest the following: 1) Avoid day time napping 2) Avoid caffeine and theophylline (coffee and tea) 3) Avoid excessive light exposure after 6p.m. 4) Avoid alcohol and tobacco 5) Regarding dementia, medication which is prescribed is to be taken regularly 6) Daily meditation 7) Daily yoga or any other physical exercise for at least 20 mins a day for 5 days a week 8) Eating more green foods like veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds 9) Treatment of underlying causes is important 10) Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) combined with sedatives and hypnotics is a good therapeutic option 11) Tab. Zolpidem 10 mg can be used at night for sleep induction. You can consult a psychiatrist for CBT and hypnotics prescription. Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Pallavi M., Anesthesiologist