Helping persons with dementia sleep better: a pilot program for care partners

What is this Study about?

The aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of the Nighttime Insomnia Treatment and Education for Canadians with Alzheimer’s Disease (NITE-CAD) program. NITE-CAD is a 6-week lifestyle intervention program aimed to improve sleep in people living with dementia by supporting their care partners. The information gathered will be used to improve the program for future offerings.

What Will Happen in This Study?

Participants will be asked to:

1. Complete a few questionnaires assessing your sleep, physical activity habits and your mental and emotional well-being (30-60 minutes) before and after the intervention.

2. Attend the 6-week NITE-CAD program which consists of:

o Three 60-minute in-person educational and group discussion sessions, and two individual phone-call check-ins

o Engage and in 30-minutes of self-directed daily physical activity and 60-minutes of light-exposure.

The entire study will take about 8 weeks (6 weeks for the interventions, plus assessments the week before and the week after the after the study.) Each session will take approximately 60-90 minutes.

Who is Eligible to Participate in this Study?

• Care partner to someone living with dementia with sleep difficulties

• Are living with dementia experiencing sleep difficulties, with a live-in care partner who is interested in participating

• Able to speak and understand English

• Have access to the internet and a computer with a camera and microphone

• Able to participate in an exercise program

• Sufficient cognitive function to follow two-step commands.

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