One of the things that impacts sleep, at least for me, is getting my mind to settle down. I use visual and auditory stimuli to help with this. Usually, I watch something that is not too stimulating on television and just try to relax. I turn the volume down and the lights off.

I also will use music to get settled. I watch videos of Celtic Women. Oddly enough, even the upbeat music and singing allows me to get settled. The important thing is to provide something for your mind to do that does not require active cognitive thought.

It also is important for me to get VERY comfortable. For me, this means soft clothes, sheets and blankets. I need to be the proper temperature. I sleep in all cotton with cotton sheets and a soft acrylic blanket. In the beginning, I even wore chenille gloves so my hands felt warm.

If I am in my reclining chair, as I start to drift off, I will notice that I am drifting off and get up and go quietly to bed. My bed has an electric mattress pad to prewarm it. I turn it down and get in bed and am almost instantly asleep. If I do not fall asleep quickly, I may get need to get up and start over or just sleep in my recliner.

I have been doing this sleep process for 6 years. Before then, sleep was a miserable event each night. I also have to take a drug, Gabapentin, to help my body and brain settle. Otherwise, my body starts to jerk as I drift off to sleep. This and my central sleep apnea are unique to me. Others with PCS may have breathing problems during sleep. If the brain does not get good oxygen levels with good sleep cycles, it cannot heal.

These techniques work great for me. Others may need to experiment to find their own system of sleep hygiene. The key is to reduce any stimulation that keeps the brain awake. The problem is that concussion often injures a system in the brain that filters out stimuli. This ends up keeping the brain awake. Reducing any stimuli with behavioral and environmental means can help solve this problem.

Hope this helps.

My best to you.