Melatonin replacement has been shown effective to treat sundowning and other sleep wake disorders in AD patients. The antioxidant, mitochondrial and antiamyloidogenic effects of melatonin indicate its potentiality to interfere with the onset of the disease.

How much melatonin should I take for sundowners?

They recommend a trial of melatonin at a dose of 6 mg with at least 4-month follow-up to improve sundowning.

When should you give melatonin for sundowning?

Ideally, you want to offer melatonin 2 hours before bed time. Do NOT give antihistamines and nighttime medicines. Over the counter drugs like Benadryl, Tylenol PM or NyQuil are known to accelerate cognitive decline, which will make sundowning worse. They will also make your parent woozy and more likely to fall.