Sleep!

We all know that feeling of not having a good night of sleep and feeling terrible the next day. Fatigued, struggling with brain fog, perhaps a headache, definitely not making good food choices. But this becomes an even more important conversation post-head injury such as a concussion/mTBI.

More recent evidence has shown there is a drainage system in the central nervous system (CNS) consisting of the brain, brainstem and spinal cord that acts very much like the drainage system in our peripheral nervous system (PNS). In the PNS it is called lymphatic drainage and in the CNS glymphatic drainage. And the glymphatic system is much more active during REM sleep…that deep, restorative sleep that we all crave. It helps to clear out all of the “junk” in the brain and allows the connections between neurons to function as they should.

So then the question becomes, how can I stack the cards in my favor to hopefully get the most restorative sleep I can? And after a concussion this can become especially challenging. Before jumping to prescription medications, which sometimes are absolutely necessary, there are several alternative approaches. Some will be familiar and some maybe not. Take a read and if you are having sleep disturbances, either falling asleep or staying asleep, reach out via email at info@claritychironeuro.com to see if we may help. Whether suffering from a concussion or for general brain health, sleep can be a major keystone in finally improving your brain function.

During the day:

• Get up and go to bed around the same time every day. Although this can be challenging, having a regular routine is important.
• Get natural light in your eyes within the first 15 minutes of waking. This will help to reset your circadian rhythm priming you for sleep in about 14 hours.
• Get regular exercise so you are actually ready to rest come bedtime.
• Avoid long daytime naps. Concussions can be very fatiguing and regular rest periods or short naps can be helpful to get through your day. But avoid falling asleep for hours during the day.
• Avoid consuming caffeine after lunchtime. Limit alcohol as well and if you’re healing from a concussion, you shouldn’t be drinking alcohol anyway.

In the evening:

• Get off of all screens at least 1 hour before bedtime. This includes watching TV. However, if you do want to watch a show or movie before bed, consider getting some blue blocker glasses - the more red tint the better. And keep the shows light; not action packed or full of discord.
• Make sure your environment is cool, quiet and dark. Ear plugs and a sleep mask can be very helpful. Maybe even spray your sleep mask with lavender to calm your nervous system.
• If you have a hard time “winding down” try using something like binaural beats to get your brain waves in the right space for sleep. You can listen to these as you read a paper book or a real magazine - not something on your phone.
• Eat a small amount of protein and fiber before bedtime; last thing you do before brushing your teeth and going to bed. This will help to stabilize your blood sugar throughout the night and avoid the 2-3 am wake-up call. Obviously if you have GERD, this may not work for you.
• There are several supplements on the market that can help: magnesium glycinate, L-theanine, valerian root and phosphatidylserine. Melatonin is frequently recommended, but be careful here. Melatonin was never intended to take long term, so best to use during travel when resetting to a new time zone.