Can You Sleep After a Concussion? The Truth About Nighttime Wake-Ups
If you’ve just hit your head, chances are you’ve got a million questions running through your mind—one of them being, "Can I sleep, or do I need to have someone hover over me like a paranoid mother watching her newly licensed teenager back out of the driveway for the first time?”
For years, people were told that if you get a concussion, someone needs to wake you up every hour to make sure you’re still alive. But is that actually necessary? Or is it just outdated advice that maybe be doing more harm than good? Let’s break it down.
Will a Concussion Mess with Your Sleep?
Short answer? Yes.
Longer answer? A recently published study stated:
“Of the multitude of symptoms that an individual may experience following the injury, sleep symptoms such as drowsiness, difficulty falling or staying asleep, or changes in the quantity and/or quality of sleep are endorsed by up to 70% of patients.”
Do You Still Need to Be Woken Up Throughout the Night?
Now, for years, standard protocol was to wake up anyone with a concussion every hour or two to check for signs of deterioration. The idea was simple—if their symptoms got worse, that could indicate a serious brain injury, and would warrant immediate medical attention. And listen, that wasn’t necessarily bad advice at the time. But as of today? Research suggests this may not be necessary for most people.
“Sleep is a component of ‘rest.’ Rest is advised immediately following a concussion (< 48 h); however, aside from no longer recommending frequent night waking, no evidence-based recommendations currently exist for the assessment or management of sleep following injury.”
Why Waking Someone Up Might Actually Be Harming Their Recovery
So, let’s be real—if you just smacked your head, you’re probably not going to sleep great anyway. And if you’re already set up for a rough night, the last thing you need is someone waking you up every hour just to ask, “Are you okay?”
Here’s something to think about: Your brain heals while you sleep. It’s when your brain clears out waste, repairs damaged cells, and restores function. So, if you already have a concussion that’s likely messing with your ability to get good night’s rest, being woken up all night is like pulling the fire alarm during cleanup. It just makes everything take longer.
The general rule is this: Unless red flag symptoms are present, let them sleep. Waking someone up does not prevent complications—it just makes them:
Crankier
More exhausted
And potentially prolongs their recovery
Instead of playing concussion babysitter all night, the best thing you can do is let the brain rest. Trust me—there will be plenty to do as we move further into your recovery journey, and you don’t want to start that process running on fumes.
Final Thoughts
The old-school approach of waking up concussion patients all night? Outdated. Unless there’s a clear medical reason to check on them, let them sleep—their recovery depends on it.
If you want to know more about how to actually recover from a concussion faster, you can download our free concussion guide entitled I’ve Hit My Head… Now What? or click the button at the top of this page to schedule your free phone call with me.
