Why Sundowning Makes Evenings So Hard

If you care for someone with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, you know evenings can be especially challenging. As daylight fades, many people become more confused, restless, anxious, or agitated — a pattern known as sundowning. Families often describe it as “the shift change,” when moods shift suddenly and routines unravel.

Caregivers often ask the same honest question: Is there anything simple, soothing, and realistic that might help?

A new large study offers a meaningful clue. Researchers found that older adults who regularly listen to or play music have a significantly lower risk of dementia and experience better cognitive health over time. While the study didn’t investigate sundowning directly, its findings point toward something powerful:

Daily music engagement may help steady the mind, regulate mood, and create calmer, more peaceful evenings.

Music is familiar, enjoyable, and emotionally resonant — making it a natural fit for evening care routines.

What the Study Examined

The study followed 10,893 adults aged 70 and older, none of whom had dementia at the beginning. Participants reported how often they:

• listened to music
• played a musical instrument
• or did both

Researchers tracked their cognitive changes over time and recorded who developed dementia or “cognitive impairment no dementia.”

Crucially, this study did not test music for sundowning. Instead, it examined how music habits relate to long-term brain health. But its insights help caregivers make practical evening-care choices.

Key Findings That Matter for Caregivers

• Adults who “always listened” to music had a 39% lower risk of developing dementia.
• Those who often or always played an instrument had about a 35% lower risk.
• People who both listened and played music had a 33% lower dementia risk and a 22% lower risk of cognitive impairment.
• Frequent music engagement was linked with better memory and stronger overall cognitive function.

To caregivers, these results suggest that music supports the brain’s ability to stay regulated, connected, and resilient — qualities that matter deeply during sundowning episodes.

Why Music Helps the Brain — and Possibly Sundowning

Music stimulates multiple areas of the brain at once, including emotional, motor, and memory centers. It lowers stress hormones, helps regulate mood, and evokes comforting autobiographical memories.

This combination creates a powerful effect:
music helps people feel calmer, safer, and more grounded.

Since sundowning often stems from fatigue, overstimulation, or internal rhythm shifts, introducing soothing music before agitation begins may help smooth the transition into the evening.

How to Build Gentle Musical Routines Into Evening Care

Even though the study didn’t address sundowning directly, caregivers can adapt its insights into practical, doable routines.

1. Start before sundowning begins
Begin playing music 20–40 minutes before typical agitation starts. Prevention is easier than intervention.

2. Choose familiar, soothing music
Pick songs from the person’s young adulthood — often the most calming and emotionally meaningful. Stick with warm, slow, gentle pieces.

3. Keep the first sessions short
Start with 5–10 minutes and increase to 15–30 minutes as tolerated.

4. Pair the music with calming sensory cues
Soft lights, warm blankets, comfortable seating, and a familiar environment help maximize the soothing effect.

5. Follow a predictable evening pattern
Try a simple rhythm:
quiet activity → gentle music → light snack → bedtime routine

Predictability helps reduce anxiety and confusion.

6. Encourage gentle participation
Invite the person to hum, sing softly, tap a simple rhythm, or choose between two playlists.

7. Match the music to the mood
If agitation rises, slow the tempo.
If sadness shows up, choose warm, comforting songs.
If the person becomes overstimulated, lower the volume and simplify the environment.

8. Transition gently to nighttime
Lower the volume gradually and let the music flow naturally into the bedtime routine.

What This Means for Your Caregiving Practice

Music won’t eliminate sundowning entirely, but it can:

• soothe agitation
• improve evening mood
• strengthen emotional connection
• provide a comforting anchor during transitions
• support long-term brain health

Most of all, music offers moments of calm and connection — something every caregiver and every person with dementia deserves.

A Simple First Step

Choose three calming songs the person loves.
Play them softly each evening before sundowning begins.
Notice how the atmosphere shifts — even small changes matter.

Caregiver Playlist: Gentle Music for Calmer Evenings

Mood: Slow, warm, familiar, emotionally gentle.
Length: Begin with 3–5 songs.

Soothing Classics

• “What a Wonderful World” — Louis Armstrong
• “Moon River” — Andy Williams
• “The Way You Look Tonight” — Ella Fitzgerald
• “Clair de Lune” — Debussy
• “Air on the G String” — Bach

Nostalgic Favorites (by decade of youth)

• 1950s: “Unchained Melody,” “Misty,” “Smile”
• 1960s: “Here Comes the Sun,” “Stand by Me,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love”
• 1970s: “Your Song,” “Landslide,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water”

Soft Instrumentals

• Yiruma — piano
• Ludovico Einaudi
• Gentle acoustic guitar playlists
• Soft jazz trios

Tips:
Keep the volume low, repeat the playlist nightly, and pair with soft lighting for strongest effect.