sundowning /sun″douning/ [AS, sunne + ofdune, off the hill] , a condition in which persons with cognitive impairment and elderly people tend to become confused or disoriented at the end of the day. Many of them have diminished visual acuity and varying degrees of sensorineural and conduction hearing loss. With less light, they lose visual cues that help them to compensate for their sensory impairments. It may also be a result of decreased sensory stimulation, especially in the evening, when there is less environmental activity and less structure. Sundowning is most common with dementia, Alzheimer’s type, and is seen with delirium.
