Is It Dangerous to Fall Asleep Following a Head Injury?
The Cleveland Clinic, a renowned non-profit academic medical center, stresses the significance of sleep in the recovery process of concussions. Contrary to popular belief, falling asleep after a head injury does not lead to a coma, and there is no evidence to suggest that letting someone sleep or not waking them up after a concussion affects the healing process.
Richard Figler, MD, a primary care sports medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic, clarifies that waking someone up with a suspected concussion is not needed or beneficial. This advice about waking a person with a head injury likely stems from a misconception.
Initial monitoring after a concussion may involve waking the patient every few hours during the first night or two to assess orientation, pupil response, and breathing, to rule out worsening brain injury. However, once serious injury is excluded, uninterrupted sleep is beneficial. Sleep supports brain healing and cognitive recovery.
Aiming for a regular sleep schedule with normal sleep duration is crucial. Excessive sleep (more than 9.9 hours per night in youths) may correlate with more symptoms. In the first few days, naps help recovery; after that, limiting naps improves sleep regularity.
If you have trouble waking the person or they show abnormal signs during sleep, seek immediate medical care.
Recent guidance emphasizes the importance of good sleep hygiene in concussion recovery. Sleep disturbances are common after concussions, and both too little and excessively long sleep durations have been linked with worse symptoms later during recovery.
In summary, after a suspected concussion is medically evaluated and serious injury ruled out, allowing the person to sleep through the night is recommended and beneficial. Occasional waking for symptom checks is mainly advised during initial hours post-injury or based on medical advice. Ensuring good sleep hygiene and appropriate sleep duration supports concussion recovery.
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[1] Meehan WP, et al. Sleep disturbances and recovery from sport-related concussion in adolescents. J Neurotrauma. 2015;32(1):11-21.
[2] McCrory P, et al. Consensus statement on concussion in sport—the 5th international conference on concussion in sport held in Berlin, October 2016. Br J Sports Med. 2017;51(6):403-410.
[3] Giza CC, et al. Summary of evidence-based guideline update: evaluation and management of concussion in sports: Report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2018;90(15):e1-e12.
- The Cleveland Clinic suggests that sleep plays a significant role in the recovery process of neurological disorders, such as concussions.
- Contrary to popular belief, letting a person sleep after a head injury does not contribute to a coma, and there is no evidence to suggest that waking or not waking them affects the healing process.
- Although initial monitoring of a concussion might involve waking the patient to assess symptoms, once serious injury is excluded, uninterrupted sleep is beneficial for brain healing and cognitive recovery.
- Maintaining a regular sleep schedule with normal sleep duration is essential for recovery, as both too little and excessively long sleep durations have been linked with more severe symptoms during recovery. Furthermore, occasional waking for symptom checks might be advised during the initial hours post-injury or based on medical advice.
