Sleep disorders are one of the effects related to traumatic events, such as car accidents. If you were involved in a crash, its disturbing nature, especially if it was a severe one, may cause psychological effects. Accordingly, your sleep patterns may be affected.
Here is what to know:
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Some people who are involved in an accident get post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Symptoms include re-experiencing the trauma (having flashbacks of the accident), nightmares about the accident and trouble sleeping (insomnia).
Traumatic brain injury
Insomnia can also be an effect of traumatic brain injury(TBI). If your doctor diagnosed you with TBI after the accident, you may have trouble sleeping due to the injury.
Note that it may take time before TBI symptoms appear. Thus, if you were not diagnosed with TBI after the accident but you have insomnia, seek medical attention immediately.
Pain
In some cases, you may have issues sleeping because of the pain from the injuries you sustained. It’s not uncommon for people with chronic pain to experience sleep disturbances. Additionally, the lack of quality sleep can worsen the pain since sleeping promotes healing, muscle repair and tissue growth. Thus, the longer you have a sleep disorder, the more pain you may experience.
Excessive sleeping
You may also experience hypersomnia (excessive sleeping) after an accident. While feeling more tired and sleepier than usual may be normal, seeing that your body is healing, you should be concerned when it becomes excessive – your sleep lasts more than a few days, and you feel exhausted during the day even after resting adequately at night.
TBI can cause excessive sleeping. Your sleep hours may also increase if your brain mechanisms for starting and stopping sleep are affected due to a head injury.
If you experience sleep problems after an accident, learn more about pain and suffering to get fair compensation.
