Improving sleep quality has emerged as a key focus in the quest for better dementia care. Sleep is essential for the physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being of individuals with dementia. While care environments are designed to address physical and safety needs, the role of the sonic environment is frequently overlooked or underestimated.
Let’s tune into this auditory landscape, and explore it’s effect on sleep quality for dementia residents.
Do You Hear What They Hear?
Care settings are busy places filled with unavoidable noises like footsteps, conversation, whirring cleaning equipment, alarms, ringing phones, and door latches. Imagine this is where you lived and this ever-present, chaotic “buzz” of activity surrounded you. These disruptions are especially impactful in dementia care, where residents’ cognitive changes make them more sensitive to their surroundings, particularly in the evening hours.
It can be challenging to fully grasp the sensory experience of someone living with dementia. Sounds that might otherwise seem benign can be startling or disorienting to residents. Empathizing with residents’ perspectives, however, can inspire more intentional sound management and highlight the importance of creating a calmer, more supportive sonic environment.
The Brain’s Connection to Sound
Having tuned into the sounds of the environment, it’s important to understand what occurs between the ears.
In order to fall asleep, we close our eyes to shut out what we see. But our ears are always sensing the world around us — even when we’re sleeping. For instance, loud and sudden sounds activate the “fight or flight” response, jolting us out of our sleep. This makes sense from a survival standpoint. Strictly speaking, we are at our most vulnerable when we’re sleeping. So having a response system like this is how we’ve evolved for survival.
Neuroscience also tells us that sound influences how our brains move through different sleep stages. Even subtle variations in the sonic environment can interrupt sleep and make it more fragmented. In contrast, steady mid-to-low-frequency sounds can help achieve deeper sleep by helping the brain synchronize its oscillations. These frequencies act as “sonic stabilizers”, smoothing out the unpredictable changes between relative quiet and unexpected spikes of noise. Creating consistency in this way helps the brain’s natural rhythms, fostering restorative sleep and reducing nighttime agitation.
Creating Sonic Environments for Restful Sleep
Putting all of this into practice, here are some practical strategies to improve the auditory environment:
- Noise Mitigation: Identify and minimize common noise sources such as mechanical equipment or staff activities during night hours. Incorporating sound-absorbing materials in key areas can also reduce ambient noise levels.
- Controlled Soundscapes: Implement consistent, soothing background sounds designed to mask disruptive noises. Innovative soundscaping technologies like Sound Blanket™ provide tailored auditory environments that promote relaxation and support natural sleep cycles.
- Individualized Audio Solutions: Residents respond differently to auditory stimuli. Customizing soundscapes based on individual needs and preferences can create a sense of comfort and security.
Why the Sonic Environment Matters
Emerging research underscores the significant impact of sound on sleep quality, particularly in dementia care settings.
Incorporating these principles requires a shift in perspective. For many caregivers, focusing on the auditory environment may feel secondary to more immediate care tasks. However, recognizing sound as an integral part of residents’ lived experiences can inspire small but impactful changes. After all, when soundscapes are designed thoughtfully, they promote not just sleep — but overall well-being, dignity, and quality of life.
“When residents sleep well, they’re more present for life’s moments that matter — sharing meals with friends, enjoying activities, and connecting with others in meaningful relationships. Creating environments that support healthy sleep isn’t just about getting a good night’s rest — it’s about enhancing every aspect of daily living… for the residents as well as the staff that care for them.” Steve Lindsey — CEO, Garden Spot Communities
A Strategic Advantage for Care Providers
Improving sleep through thoughtful sonic environment design benefits more than just residents.
Calmer nights lead to fewer disruptive incidents, lowering the risk of nighttime falls, and allowing staff to focus on proactive care. Additionally, regulatory trends and evolving standards in senior living increasingly emphasize the importance of non-pharmacological interventions in dementia care. Families, too, are more likely to choose care facilities that align with these innovations, prioritizing approaches that enhance quality of life and quality of care.
Investing in auditory interventions is not just an ethical imperative but a strategic one. By addressing the sonic environment’s impact on sleep, care providers can create a foundation for healthier, more dignified dementia care.
This article is part of the series “Reimagining Sleep in Dementia Care” Stay tuned for more insights into how innovative approaches are transforming dementia care for the better.
Read Part 3 coming soon.
