Temporal Patterns of Agitation in Dementia

The results fit with a hypothesis of fatigue of daytime nursing staff members and disruption during shift change and may also be partially accounted for by resident fatigue. Although the literature supports the notion that there is a peak in overall agitation around 4 pm, the term “sundowning” is not supported and should be replaced. The phenomenon of increased levels of agitation during later hours characterizes only a minority of agitated nursing home residents, albeit the most highly agitated.