Sleep

The brain helps control breathing. Most of the time we don’t even think about it. Brain injury can impact how your brain controls breathing while you sleep, which may result in things like sleep apnea (which is where you actually stop breathing for short periods of time). Some signs of sleep apnea include:

• You wake up choking, gasping, or with shortness of breath
• Snoring
• Breathing stops
• Insomnia (not being able to fall asleep and/or stay asleep)

There are machines that can help people with sleep apnea (such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine) that you can wear to bed to help with breathing issues.

You might not know if you have sleep apnea or other breathing problems when you sleep. While doctors will talk to you about sleep and safety at the beginning of your recovery, there are a few ways you can monitor your sleep, including:

• Recording yourself
• Keeping a sleep journal
• Asking someone you trust to check on you/sleep in the room with you if the doctor needs someone to confirm you’re having breathing trouble

This may be scary to read about, and we want to be honest – sleep apnea can be quite serious. But there are treatments, and specialists that can help make sure you sleep soundly and safely. If you have any worries or want more information, you should talk to your doctor and your parent(s)/guardian(s).

• More info about sleep apnea from the Government of Canada

The brain releases different chemicals depending on what we’re doing. This includes getting ready to fall asleep. For example, the pineal gland in the brain regulates melatonin, which plays a role in falling asleep [2]. When there is damage to these brain functions, you may have trouble falling asleep or experience interruptions to your sleep because the chemicals aren’t working the same way.

This doesn’t mean you won’t ever have a good night’s sleep again. But it may mean you have to change how you get ready for bed. We talk more about this in our sleep tips section of this page.

If you are experiencing mental health struggles such as depression or anxiety, these can affect your sleep. And when you’re tired, that can actually impact symptoms of depression and anxiety. It becomes a really tough circle to be in.

• More info about mental health and brain injury

Your mental health will always play a big role in other areas of your health, including sleep. There are some things you can do to support your sleep so you can continue to care for yourself.

Some medications have a side effect of interfering with sleep. They may also cause drowsiness when you are awake.

We have a medication tracker where you can record what you’re taking, potential side effects, and what you’re actually experiencing. You can share this with your medical team to make sure they have all the information. They may be able to prescribe you something else, or help you manage side effects so you feel as good as possible.

When you have pain in your body, an upset stomach, or a headache, you might struggle to go about your day-to-day activities. This includes sleep. Pain and discomfort make it really hard to fall and/or stay asleep.

Your doctors will be the best people to talk to about your pain and how to treat it. Some things you can do on our own (or with a parent/guardian) include:

• Making sure you have an appropriate mattress and pillow for your needs.
• Using tools like ice packs or heat packs for bodily pain.
• Sticking to any physiotherapy exercises you’re supposed to be doing.

There may also be some meditations you can listen to as you fall asleep to help take your mind off any discomfort you’re feeling. These don’t work for everyone, but they are an option.

When looking at a successful sleep-wake cycle, a person gets uninterrupted rest at night and is awake during the day. Sleep disorders are conditions that impact the amount an/or quality of sleep you get [3].

Studies have shown that brain injury and sleep disorders go hand in hand. Sleep disorders make it difficult to rest and brain injury recovery can suffer as a result.

It’s difficult to recognize a sleep disorder or a related sleep problem because it can include resting too much as well as not resting enough.

• Circadian rhythm sleep disorders make it difficult to follow a regular sleep pattern
• Hypersomnias can make someone extremely sleepy
• Insomnias make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep
• Parasomnias is a disorder that causes sleepwalking, talking, and bedwetting
• Sleep related breathing disorders cause difficulty breathing while asleep
• Sleep movement disorders cause unwanted movement like restless legs which can make it difficult to fall or stay asleep

Sleep disorders/syndromes are challenging to cope with but can improve over time by committing to good sleep routines. And problems with sleep should be shared with your doctor, because they can help you figure out treatments and/or supports.

After your brain injury, you might need to take more breaks because you don’t have as much physical or mental energy. This is something a lot of people go through. Part of a good sleep routine is listening to your body, and sometimes the body and brain do need a nap. But too much napping can make it more difficult for you to fall asleep at night. This leads to mixed up sleep patterns or poor sleep. Naps should be limited during the day and should be kept short.