Early dementia

[LifeSurvior]

I'm absolutely worried so much I need to talk to someone tonight.
My husbands Father had early onset dementia, it was called lewys.
He died after 8 years of obvious symptoms.
One of these was just nodding off in company, he would be absolutely asleep
My husband is now doing this, he just goes to sleep, we can be planning stuff, I'm doing the meal, and he is absolutely asleep on the couch.
I wake him and he's back in the room as it were but he has no comprehension that he was asleep.
Our adult children just raise their eyes and go it's just Dad.
I'm so scared this is early onset dementia.

Think about other possible causes such as sleep apnoea, does he snore?
You are best to encourage him to see his GP for assessment for any concerns.

Think men are very prone to nodding off, I wouldn’t worry too much.

He is terrified he will go down the same route as his Dad so no I can't encourage him. He says if he was diagnosed with the same he would kill himself.

Nodding off is not necessarily a sign of someone having dementia. Are there other things you have noticed along side of this?

Any behavioral changes? Lost sense of direction, not replying to questions in the right way, or occasional moments where he misses out words, absent minded? Confusion, sudden outburts, or mood that is flat?
If you are concerned, speak to your GP, or nurse, or even Alzheimer's association?

He literally goes to sleep, absolutely out if it, when Its tea time? I have only just left him?
And i dont know, its a feeling I get, he's just not asleep, he's checked out, almost not here.
I have been with this man nearly 30 years, I know him tired it's different.

I totally get that your DH may be afraid of this, but Lewy body dementia is generally not a hereditary. But you can, yourself, if your DH is afraid to check this out, go and speak with someone who knows this, just to rule it out and or other things that may be bothering him. If your DH has suddenly become tired, more so than usual, then have this checked if this does not improve.

It is difficult to know how to approach this. I can absolutely understand why he wouldn't want a diagnosis. Somebody suggested getting in touch with the Alzheimers association. I think thats a good idea but I wouldnt say anything to your DH. But people can dose off briefly after a tiring day.

LBD is not generally hereditary.

But falling completely asleep during the day is not normal - I would want to get him checked out.

Thank you everyone for the replies.
I'm just so worried, he would never go to try to head it off as it where, he would put his head in the sand even though he knows his family history.
It's absolutely not normal for him to nod off, it's not normal for him to just recently just actually fall asleep in company
He was always the one to be awake, the life and soul.

He literally nodded off, and I mean we were taking to him.
He layed down and went to sleep.
It was me and his Daughter talking to him

OP Dementia is gradual, not sudden, and men seem to hate going to see the GP for a check up, but falling asleep may be a sigh of other things, such as low iron, it can be so many things that are fixable. You can even pop down to the chemist for a chat as you sound worried. But again, dementia is a gradual thing that has a cluster of other things correlating together, not just one thing in particular.

My DH57 nods off too. But he is completely shattered. Works long hours, doesn’t really stop until he sits down to watch the sport and is sparko in seconds some nights. In the absence of any other symptoms, is your DH dealing with stress at work, sleeping properly, etc?

Thanks all, I think I may have over thinked it and come up with the worse case scenario, I'm just not used to him absolutely going sparked out of an evening or even day.
Yes he works shifts but he has always worked shifts. It might be it's taking its toll now.
I'm going to have a serious chat with him and hopefully get to the bottom of it xx thanks to everyone who has helped me in this thread xx

My short often does this at teatime
and he doesn’t have dementia.

I may be wrong but I was of the impression that LBD was associated with Parkinsons disease.
My best friend had early onset dementia and it presented itself by completely forgetting the normal things you would remember eg not being able to tell a taxi driver her address.
There were distinct changes in personality too, like coming out with really strange views and opinions.
If you are really worried a trip to the GP is a good idea, if the " dropping off" is a sudden thing, there could be many explanations.

what are the ages, how old was your FIL at diagnosis and how advanced was he… and how old is DH?

My Oh is 54, his Dad was diagnosed at 64.. But he had all the symptoms before 64.
He fell asleep when it was family gatherings, he just had really weird symptoms that we looked back on and could tell.
He stopped engaging
He leant on other people, he didn't want to engage, it's so hard to say but he just sort of checked out , not participating in life if you know what I mean

I see the same patterns in my Husband, I think he will be resistant to those patterns but they are there and I am terrified they are the same.

He did the same tonight.
Just absolutely asleep, just fell asleep whist we were watching a film, no not exhausted from the day, we were okay, no work