Identifying and Treating Insomnia in Patients Living With Alzheimer’s Disease

The number of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasing significantly. The disease affects many aspects of a person's life, and often sleep disturbances are problematic for the patient and for their family. It is critical for clinicians to monitor patients with AD for sleep disorders, including insomnia. Because insomnia can also be an indicator of future development of cognitive difficulties, intervening as early as possible with pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment strategies may enable clinicians to not only manage the patient's sleep disorder but also prevent and/or delay the onset of AD.