How Family / Carers Can Manage Fatigue

After a head injury more time may be spent in the lighter stages of sleep, which are less refreshing. as a result of this the quality of dreaming may change, sometimes with nightmares, and sometimes with very little dreaming at all.

If your head injured friend tells you he is too tired to go out with you, he probably is. It is often very difficult for a person who has had a head injury to understand the needs of his situation.

We are brought up to believe that we can do better if we try harder and the reaction to fatigue is often dogged perseverance and determination to finish the job. This usually results in a downward spiral of deterioration.

Families and rehabilitation staff need to act as monitors of the head injured person's energy use, to make sure he stays within the limits where he is able to function effectively. The rehabilitation staff will organize the treatment times so that periods of time which are "energy-draining" are alternated with periods of rest, when his batteries can get recharged.

Families will monitor the home and leisure to make sure he is not overdoing things. To do this, families must appreciate that the signs that he is over tired are not necessarily that he will want to lie down and sit in a chair.