According to new research, for 18 months or longer after sustaining a traumatic brain injury, a first-time victim of concussion continues to need more sleep. In addition, a person who has suffered a serious injury to the brain experiences daytime sleepiness more than healthy people do. Unfortunately, it is easy for these types of individuals in New Mexico and other states to underestimate how sleepy they are, which, in turn, increases their chances of getting into automobile accidents.
Researchers have reported that concussed brains need extra rest in order to heal. This extra sleep can be challenging to get, however, with a patient’s sleep-wake cycle potentially being disrupted by his or her injury. Still, it is imperative that people who have suffered serious blows to the head not only rest but also limit both cognitive and physical exertion.
Some problematic signs of brain injury, such as headaches, mostly subside during the weeks following the brain injury-causing incident. Other signs that usually dwindle after a short while including vision problems, memory issues, irritability, and dizziness. Unfortunately, sleep problems may persist for a long time, even for an individual who did not initially have any severe injury-related symptoms.
Serious injury to the brain can easily result from a major accident in New Mexico, such as a vehicle crash or a slip-and-fall accident caused by another party. Sometimes these accidents happen as a result of the other party’s negligence. In this type of situation, a brain injury victim has the right to file a personal injury claim against the allegedly responsible party, seeking damages. If awarded, damages may help a victim to cover his or her injury-related monetary losses.
Source: gosanangelo.com, “Sleep issues remain long after brain injury“, Melissa Healy, May 3, 2016