Sleep: The Hidden Impact.

Do you hit the hay? Nab a kip? Steal forty winks? Perhaps you’re a catcher of Zzzs or shut-eye. However, you label it, we all know the difference a really good night’s sleep can make.

Recently at our Innovation After Injury conference, held at Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury, Dr David Lee from Sleep Unlimited gave a dynamic and insightful lecture on how injury impacts sleep, and how sleep then impacts everything else.

Sleep is vital for brain and body health, to repair and function not only correctly but at maximum capacity and efficiency. The amount of sleeping hours we require varies from person to person, but is usually around seven to nine hours in a healthy adult. Infants, children and teenagers are likely to need significantly more due to their ongoing development.

Following the lecture, what struck me most was that sleep disturbance really is one of the most common issues reported by injured people, and the knock-on effect this has on their day-to-day living is huge. Countless enquirers and clients alike advise us that their injuries are preventing them from getting the quality sleep they need to function cognitively. This might be caused by:

• Pain
• Restrictions to positioning
• Irritability
• Nausea
• Nightmares, flashbacks or intrusive thoughts
• Urinary urgency
• Inability to access bedroom
• Worrying about physical and financial recovery

In his talk Dr Lee raised that this impact can also extend to friends or family members of an injured person who are now acting as carers. They may need to be up earlier to dress and feed someone, stay up later to get them into bed, or get up in the night to assist someone to the bathroom, administer pain relief and comfort.

Without proper sleep, we can struggle with concentration and processing, poor memory, irritability, anxiety and depression. As sleep deprivation becomes more significant, so too can the symptoms: a compromised immune system, weight fluctuation, spasms, and even hallucinations. Both minor and severe symptoms can be an obstacle for those recovering from an injury, leading to missed appointments, forgotten medication, relationship breakdowns, and increased illness.

So how can a personal injury claim help correct impacted sleep? As part of a claim, we instruct independent doctors to provide insight into ongoing symptoms and provide an opinion on the best ways to maximise recovery. This may include rehabilitation via therapists, prescribed medication, or corrective surgery. If sleep is particularly impacted for reasons that are not clear, a doctor or case manager may also recommend an actigraphic study (sleep analysis) to identify sleep levels, causes for issues, and appropriate treatment or lifestyle changes. They may also recommend paid sleep-in or night shift carers to alleviate the impact on family and friends.

The Personal Injury Team at Lanyon Bowdler and Case Managers we work with are keen advocates for early rehabilitation. Our clients who have undergone sleep analysis show improvement in their sleep hygiene and general wellbeing when professional recommendations are followed. We work with various care teams across the country to secure knowledgeable, appropriate care workers, including 24-hour care packages to facilitate a client’s sleeping needs.

If you would like to make an enquiry with our team, please make contact using the get in touch button below or email info@lblaw.co.uk