A practical guide to evaluating sleep disturbance in concussion patients

To provide an introduction and review of sleep metrics appropriate for use with an outpatient concussed population.

Although sleep issues are frequently identified in concussion, sleep disturbance is rarely assessed in outpatient settings. Given that sleep disturbance may be indicative of, or contribute to, delayed neurocognitive recovery, measurement tools for sleep, rest, and activity behavior may be of both practical and research utility.

Because sleep disturbance symptoms may vary between or within an individual throughout the course of recovery, it is recommended that sleep be measured at regular intervals over the entirety of recovery. Included is a discussion on how to select appropriate measures based on patient symptomology in addition to common practical concerns. Additional clinical considerations, a review of traditional pencil and paper methods of continuous sleep behavior monitoring, as well as technologies for measuring sleep and activity behavior are also included.