You may have heard people say that it’s dangerous to go to sleep if you’ve suffered a head injury or a brain injury, such as a concussion. People may even claim that you should try not to sleep for the next 24 hours. They will say that there’s a risk that you could find yourself in a coma if you go to sleep too soon, making your situation much more serious.
But this is not actually true. In many cases, it’s completely safe to sleep after a head injury. Sleep can even help the brain heal. So why is it that people often believe the opposite?
Medical care should come first
The issue is that someone who has suffered a brain injury may believe that it’s minor and go to sleep, only to have their symptoms get worse. Maybe there’s bleeding around the brain and they need immediate medical care. But no one knows because they are asleep, so no one can monitor their symptoms. By the time anyone figures out that things are wrong, it’s much too late.
This is why it’s important to go to the hospital first and get medical treatment. Once a doctor has determined the extent of the injury, they can let you know if it’s safe for you to sleep or not. Additionally, you may set up a schedule to have someone wake you up and check your symptoms, or something of this nature. So you do need to be conscious of the fact that brain injuries can have severe ramifications, but that doesn’t mean that you need to completely avoid sleep – and certainly not for the next 24 hours after the injury.
Brain injuries can often bring about significant medical bills. If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, be sure you understand your legal options to seek compensation.