Hello TheNorwegian,

Thank you very much for this message, this is very kind of you. You don't sound harsh at all but very friendly I am still unsure about what happened that night. But I will follow your advice, try to relax and avoid obsessing about the symptoms. In any case this is the best course of action.

I am sorry for missing your posts - I wanted to minimize screen time and thus did not search for similar threads before posting.

I also wish you all the best! Thank you again for your advice and sympathy.

Just a follow-up. I am 9 days after the bump, and I now have little doubt that I sustained a concussion that night, most likely by bumping my head against the headboard (without waking up). I have been feeling terrible since then with almost no improvement. I am used to having relapses after small hits or bumps, but these usually last for a few days and the symptoms are much less severe than now. This time is clearly different.

I am writing this to convey the information that it is unfortunately possible to give oneself a concussion while sleeping, and without waking up. I would not have believed that 10 days ago, and I perfectly understand why some of you considered my story with skepticism (I would have reacted in the same way).

As Mark sometimes writes, "wise people learn from others' mistakes". I thus strongly encourage you to make some arrangements in order to avoid hitting your head in your sleep - for instance, by placing pillows against the headboard.

Best wishes to all of you.

Vania,

Could it be that something happened before you went to bed that you just do not remember? A bad impact just before going to bed would often not be remembered. Having amnesia of an impact is not uncommon and does not require a severe impact.

Unless you have violent seizures or other body jerking issues, you would not be moving fast enough to cause any sort of impact. But, as I said before, sleeping with your head pressed against the headboard could cause a lump, just from the prolonged contact. Anybody who has fallen asleep in the car with their head against the door post will likely have experienced the resulting lump and/or soreness.

I don't think people should be concerned about bumping their headboard in their sleep.

Thank you, Mark. It is possible indeed, although I doubt it is what happened: I remember quite clearly what I did just before sleeping, and I was fine. Another possibility is that I got up during the night, bumped my head, went back to bed, and do not remember this at all.

I might be overreacting but I am not as confident as you are that movements while asleep are necessarily slow. In the past I have seen several times my ex-girlfriend, who was prone to having nightmares, bolting up, and screaming "no", as if she were trying to avoid a danger. And my retrospective impression is that this movement was quite abrupt.

I have a couple of questions for you and others, if I may. I am now at day 10 after this impact and doing my best to recover from it (I am off work for now). So,

• Is it ok to use screens (with moderation) as soon as the sensitivity disappears, or should I avoid them for several weeks? I have seen conflicting advice on that.
  
• When is it safe to see the chiropractor again for my neck? This was very efficient to treat my tension headaches before this impact, but I am afraid to see her too soon after this new concussion, as her manipulations make my head move a bit.
  
• Are jigsaw puzzles and audio books ok during the active phase of the recovery? I am trying to keep myself busy...

Thank you again, and my best wishes.

Although i find it very unlikely to concuss yourself whilst asleep with no memory of it, i dont think its completly impossible. I had something very similar when i was a kid. I whiplashed myself during my sleep with no recolection of it happing. Doctor did confirm it was a proper whiplash. But back then i had something called pavor nocturnus, which is a condition where you have violent panic attacks every night in your sleep with complete amnesia.

Vania,

No head movement like a chiro adjust is going to cause a concussion. If you whipped you head back and forth for a few minutes like they do in head banging, yes, you could mess things up. A chiro adjust..... NO

But, a twist the head and pop the neck chiro adjust can be traumatic to the upper cervical vertebra and cause muscle spasms and inflammation.

Bolting up out of bed would not be a concussive force. Not even a sub-concussive force.

So, maybe you got out of bed and stumbled into a door frame while heading to the bathroom. ???

At 10 days post impact, you should be getting on with your normal activities. If any of them trigger immediate symptoms, back off a bit. Do not look for symptoms. You will always find them, especially if you struggle with anxiety.

Your tension headaches are likely due to your anxiety, at least partly.

LET GO. You are over thinking everything. That is messing you up.

If your chiro does some soft tissue work on your neck that could be helpful..
Mine used ultrasound, trigger point work, low level laser, IFc stim.. Sort of a PT/DC combination..
Some chiros adjust more gently than others.. so it depends on how yours does it...if you feel comfortable with the adjusting technique or not..

Mark,

Thank you very much for being so patient and direct at the same time. You are probably right and I will follow your advice. Just a couple of points below.

I have PCS because I was not cautious enough in the acute phase after my second concussion: I was feeling completely symptom-free 5 days after the impact, and I stupidly walked very quickly (almost running) on approximately 20 meters to catch a bus. This was nothing, and yet all symptoms came back immediately and more intensely, and I haven't recovered since then. This is why I am (perhaps excessively) concerned with hits and head movements that happen a few days after an impact, even if these events would not be a source of concern if they were isolated.

Sorry if I was unclear: I took this example to illustrate that body movements while asleep can be quick, and potentially dangerous if one hits a hard surface like a headboard in the process.


You are right that I have been excessively anxious for the last 10 days. I am having a hard time controlling this fear. Your advice is invaluable and I will follow it. Thanks a lot again.

You are over analyzing everything.

Defining acute phase and recovery phase is over analyzing it.
The only time the experts suggest extra care is the first 24 to 48 hours. After that, they suggest getting back to life as symptoms allow.

Walking briskly is not a risky action. You may have sparked an adrenaline rush (a part of the anxiety response). If you have an upper neck injury, the walking could cause in increase in inflammation. If you were almost running, that is usually a less impacting action.

You have convinced yourself that you acted stupidly. This increased frustration and anxiety. You have attributed symptoms to actions that were likely meaningless.

Your anxiety has an answer to reject every reason you should not be anxious. Your ex GF bolting up did not say she launched into the headboard. When somebody bolts up in bed, they move away from the headboard. I have occasional night terrors and never bolted up toward the headboard. See how you manipulate the issue to make it sound risky and support your anxiety?

Go ahead. Keep convincing yourself that your life is over because you rushed to catch a bus. Or, you slept odd. Or the ceiling fell down and landed on your head. Or a zombie came into your room and beat you in the head.

Yes, you may need to take some minor precautions such as protecting your head and neck during bumpy rides. I have done this for 15 years. Not a big deal. When I get caught off guard, I shake it off and go on with life.

Go on with yours.