Fatigue and excessive sleepiness after stroke may fall under a condition known as excessive daytime sleepiness EDS. People with EDS often feel overcome by the need for sleep during the day. While sleep is crucial for promoting a healthy recovery, excessive sleepiness can be a sign of more serious underlying problems. This article will discuss why a stroke can cause excessive sleepiness, and explain when to seek medical attention.
During this period, your brain will devote most of its resources toward healing the damage it incurred. This means the brain has less energy left to keep you alert and awake. Aside from helping the brain heal, deep sleep also offers other, fantastic benefits to stroke survivors. For example, REM sleep — the deep sleep that occurs at intervals throughout the night — helps your brain process motor information.
When your brain achieves REM sleep, there are spikes of neural activities that occur, known as sleep spikes. During these neural spikes, the brain transfers short-term memories about muscle movement to the temporal lobe where they become long-term memories. Therefore, quality sleep can actually help stroke survivors regain proper muscle movement and strength. Since most stroke patients struggle with mobility problems, this is an incentive for stroke patients to focus on getting enough sleep.
But how can you tell when sleep becomes excessive? Want 20 pages of stroke recovery tips in an illustrated PDF? Download our free ebook by clicking here link opens a pop up for uninterrupted reading. Although sleep is a crucial part of stroke recovery, many patients develop a problem known as excessive daytime sleepiness EDS.
Excessive daytime sleeping usually decreases after a few weeks. However, in about 30 percent of stroke patients , EDS can last for over six months. If your sleepiness lasts for several months and prevents you from practicing your stroke rehab exercises, talk to your doctor, who can help you find effective treatments.
In addition, there are several factors that can worsen excessive daytime sleepiness after stroke, such as:. These medical complications can prevent you from getting quality sleep and, as a result, limit your recovery. The primary symptom of EDS is constant fatigue throughout the day.
To find an effective treatment for these symptoms, it is critical to receive a thorough diagnosis. If you struggle with excessive sleepiness after stroke, be sure to talk with your primary care physician. As mentioned above, excessive sleep is not always a bad thing, especially in the beginning of stroke recovery.
However, as time passes, drowsiness might impair your recovery by preventing you from engaging in therapy. If your quality of life is being impacted by excessive daytime sleepiness after stroke, do not worry.
There are effective treatments available. Some approaches your doctor might recommend include the following:. A lack of sleep can harm mental and physical health. Learn how much sleep is necessary, the effects of getting too little, and tips for better sleep. Share on Pinterest New research suggests that people who take long naps in the day may be at a higher risk of stroke. Study limitations and potential mechanisms. Latest news Could 'cupping' technique boost vaccine delivery?
Scientists identify new cause of vascular injury in type 2 diabetes. Adolescent depression: Could school screening help? Related Coverage. What is REM sleep? How can I get enough sleep? Medically reviewed by Stacy Sampson, D. What to know about sleep deprivation. Medically reviewed by Raj Dasgupta, MD. Understanding your body and how fatigue affects you will help you make decisions about how much to push. Pushing gently will most likely be best, as pushing too much can worsen fatigue. Research suggests exercise may help lessen fatigue.
Even if you feel tired, do some exercise each day. Even small amounts can help. Good sleep habits may help. Get up at the same time every day and get some early morning sunshine. Exposure to light when you first wake up helps to set your body clock. If you need a nap, have it earlier in the afternoon and try to keep it to 20 minutes. In the evening, do not ignore tiredness. Go to bed when your body tells you. Make sure to wind down or relax at least an hour before bed.
Fatigue after stroke is not well understood in the community, and the signs of fatigue are not always obvious to other people. Family and friends may not understand why you can not do things or attend events. It can help if you educate the people around you about fatigue. If someone offers you help, consider taking it rather than feeling like you have to do everything yourself. The health professionals at StrokeLine provide information, advice, support and referral. Find an occupational therapist: Occupational Therapy Australia www.
For more information visit the enable me resource topic on Fatigue. Where am I?
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