Terminal Restlessness Is Part of the Way We Die

Terminal restlessness is a medical term for agitation as end of life approaches. It usually begins one to three weeks before death from disease or old age.

The restlessness shows itself by random body movements, hands picking the air or clothing, mumbling, talking but not making sense, by just not being settled and quiet. The person is now beyond expressing with words. There are few if any rational conversations.

This restlessness can be a lack of oxygen to the brain but more likely it is just part of the natural way we die.

We are all going to be afraid to some degree as we approach death. This is normal and natural. Also we know when we are dying. It is no secret. We live inside of our bodies--we know.

In the months before death from disease we don’t believe we can’t be fixed but there comes a point where we indeed know the time is near (one or three weeks before we actually die from disease is about that timetable). Can the restlessness being experienced be an expression of fear? Maybe?

Realizing in the core of our being that we are going to die we become frightened and that fear shows itself in agitation. “If I lay down and close my eyes I may die” so we don’t lay still, we move about.

Most of the time this restlessness, this agitation is not destructive. It is not severe.

Again this activity is normal and natural. It is a part of the dying process from disease or old age. Nothing bad or unusual is happening. The restlessness is just a part of the way we die.

This activity is actually one of the signs we look for that says the “labor of dying” has begun. It is that normal.