“Sundowning” is used to describe erratic nighttime behavior but there is little scientific consensus as to exactly what it is, reports WBUR.
Dr. Sharon Inouye, Harvard professor and director of the Aging Brain Center at Hebrew SeniorLife, also pointed to a dizzying array of barely pronounceable biological factors thought to contribute, including “disruptions in circadian rhythms, nadirs in cortisol, stress hormones, sympathomimetic neurotransmitters, melatonin or fluctuating cytokines.”
