Dementia wandering at night is one of the most worrying changes for families. Your relative gets up in the early hours, walks around the house, tries to go out, or gets dressed for work they left decades ago. It is exhausting for everyone and can be dangerous, especially in winter or near roads.
Dementia charities prefer the term “walking about” to “wandering”, because there is almost always a reason behind it, even if the person cannot explain it. Finding that reason is the first step. This guide covers the common causes, how to improve sleep, safety measures and technology, the Herbert Protocol used by Sussex Police, and the options for care at night.
In short: look for the cause, build daytime activity and a calm bedtime routine, make the home safe at night, fill in a Herbert Protocol form, and get overnight help before you burn out.
Why does dementia wandering at night happen?
The Alzheimer’s Society’s guide to why a person with dementia might be walking about lists several common reasons. At night, these are the ones that come up most:
- Confusion about time: waking in the dark and believing it is morning, or that they need to go to work or collect the children.
- A disturbed body clock: dementia can damage the part of the brain that controls sleep and waking.
- Needing the toilet: and not finding it, then carrying on walking.
- Pain or discomfort: being too hot, too cold, hungry, thirsty or in pain.
- Anxiety or restlessness: often building in the late afternoon and evening, sometimes called sundowning. See our guide to sundowning in dementia.
- Too little activity in the day: boredom and unused energy make sleep harder.
- Searching: for a person from the past, a lost item, or “home”, even when they are at home.
- Lifelong habit: someone who always walked the dog at dawn may keep that rhythm.
Keep a simple diary for a week or two: when they get up, what they seem to be looking for, what they say, and what settled them. Patterns usually appear, and the diary is useful for the GP too.
How to help someone with dementia sleep better
Better sleep does not stop all night-time walking, but it often reduces it. The Alzheimer’s Society suggests:
| Area | What helps |
|---|---|
| Daylight | Time outside or by a window in the morning to help reset the body clock |
| Activity | Walks, gardening and other physical activity during the day; limit long daytime naps |
| Caffeine and alcohol | Switch to decaffeinated drinks from lunchtime; avoid alcohol in the evening |
| Food and drink | Avoid going to bed hungry or overfull; keep water by the bed but reduce large drinks late in the evening |
| Routine | The same bedtime routine each night: a warm drink, a wash, calm music, dimmed lights |
| Bedroom | Quiet, dark and comfortably cool, with a night light if darkness is frightening |
| Screens | Avoid television news and bright screens late in the evening |
Ask the GP or pharmacist to review medication. Some medicines disturb sleep or cause night-time confusion, and untreated pain, constipation or a urine infection can all make nights worse. Sleeping tablets are generally used with caution in dementia because they can increase confusion and the risk of falls, so any change should be a medical decision.
How to keep someone safe if they walk about at night
When they get up
Stay calm and do not argue. If they say they need to go to work, “It’s the middle of the night, let’s have a cup of tea first” works better than “You retired 20 years ago”. Walk with them if they are restless, then guide them back to bed. Offer the toilet and a drink.
Around the home
- Plug-in night lights on the route from bed to toilet, and leave the bathroom door open with a light on
- A picture sign on the toilet door
- Clear trip hazards and loose rugs; keep the floor clear at night
- A large clock showing whether it is day or night
- Keep car keys, coats and outdoor shoes out of sight by the front door
- Store medicines and cleaning products securely
- Consider a cooker isolation switch if they try to cook at night
Locking someone in raises safety and legal issues, especially in a fire, and can cause distress. Talk to an occupational therapist or social worker before doing anything that restricts someone’s freedom to leave.
GPS trackers and door sensors
Technology can give warning before someone gets far. The main options are:
- Bed or chair sensors: alert you or a monitoring centre if someone gets up and does not return within a set time.
- Door sensors: alert when an outside door opens at night. Some play a recorded message, such as “It’s night time, go back to bed”.
- GPS trackers: in a watch, pendant, key ring or shoe insole, showing location on a phone app. Some can alert you if the person leaves a set area.
- Telecare linked to a monitoring centre: useful if family live some distance away. See our guide to personal alarms and telecare in West Sussex.
Involve the person in decisions about tracking where you can, and think about privacy. If they lack capacity to decide, any monitoring should be in their best interests and the least restrictive option. The Alzheimer’s Society’s page on how technology can help covers the choices.
The Herbert Protocol in Sussex
The Herbert Protocol is a national scheme that Sussex Police uses for vulnerable people with dementia who may go missing. You fill in a form with key information: a recent photo, physical description, medical needs, routines, former addresses and workplaces, and places they like to go.
- Keep the form at home, on paper or electronically, and keep it up to date.
- You do not need to send it to the police in advance.
- If the person goes missing and may be in immediate danger, call 999 and tell the call handler you have a Herbert Protocol form. For non-emergencies, call 101.
Do this now, even if your relative has never gone missing. Give a copy to any care agency that visits.
Night care options
If nights are regularly disturbed, you will need help, both for your relative’s safety and so that you can sleep. Options include:
| Option | How it works | Indicative West Sussex cost (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Sleeping night | A carer sleeps in the home and gets up occasionally if needed | £210 to £260 a night |
| Waking night | A carer stays awake all night, suited to someone who is up several times | Higher than a sleeping night |
| Live-in care | A carer lives in the home, providing day support and help at night within agreed limits | £1,400 to £1,700 or more a week |
| Respite | A short stay elsewhere or cover at home so the family carer can rest | Varies |
If someone gets up many times every night, a sleeping night carer will not be enough, and a waking night is usually needed. Our guides to overnight care at home and when overnight care is needed explain the difference in more detail. If night-time needs are part of a wider decline, read when someone with dementia needs 24-hour care.
Ask West Sussex County Council for a needs assessment or review, and for a carer’s assessment for yourself. Attendance Allowance at the higher rate of £114.60 a week is paid to people who need help both day and night, whatever their savings.
Find care near you
Tell us your postcode and what you need help with. We pass your details to one vetted CQC-registered agency in your area — you are told who they are, and that they pay us a fee, before anything is sent.
Frequently asked questions
Why does someone with dementia get up at night?
Common reasons include confusion about the time, a disturbed body clock, needing the toilet, pain, anxiety, and not being active enough in the day. There is usually a reason behind it, even if the person cannot tell you what it is.
Should I lock the doors to stop my parent walking out at night?
Locking someone in can be dangerous in a fire and may be a restriction that needs a proper best-interests decision. Door sensors, alarms and night care are usually safer first steps; talk to a social worker or occupational therapist before restricting someone’s movement.
Does Sussex Police use the Herbert Protocol?
Yes. Sussex Police asks families to complete the form, keep it at home and up to date, and hand it over if the person goes missing. Call 999 if they may be in immediate danger and say you have the form.
Can the GP prescribe something to stop night wandering?
The GP can check for causes such as pain, infection or medication side effects, and review treatment. Sleeping tablets and sedatives are generally used cautiously in dementia because they can increase confusion and falls.
How much does night care cost in West Sussex?
A sleeping night typically costs £210 to £260 in 2026, and a waking night costs more. Live-in care, which includes support at night, typically costs £1,400 to £1,700 or more a week.
The Care Panel is an independent publication. We are not a care provider and are not regulated by the Care Quality Commission, because we do not deliver care. Always check a provider’s own CQC registration and inspection report before you commit.
Written and fact-checked by The Care Panel. Last updated September 2026. Sources: Alzheimer’s Society (walking about, sleep and assistive technology), Sussex Police Herbert Protocol, Dementia UK, West Sussex County Council adult social care, GOV.UK Attendance Allowance guidance. General information, not financial, legal or medical advice — figures are indicative and subject to change.