Being in a car accident can be a traumatic experience. And while some could recover fast, it seems that others might take a longer time to go back to their old ways. If you typed ‘can’t sleep after car accident‘ on your search engine and found this post, you are in luck. We will share with you tips on how you can get quality sleep so you can be on your way to full recovery.
It’s normal for people who just had a car accident to have a hard time sleeping. Some experience post-traumatic stress disorder which happens after incidents like a car crash. When you have PTSD, your brain is overstimulated, and there is an adrenaline spike. This could make you feel exhausted, but you will be unable to sleep at the same time. If this gets worse, it can lead to depression which can alter the way you live. Other reasons why you may experience sleeping disorders are traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury.
Meanwhile, here’s a video where you get to learn more about PTSD after vehicular accidents.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Take note that traumatic brain injury could also happen after a car crash. According to CDC, more than 250,000 people suffered from brain injuries involving motor vehicles between 2006 to 2010. From this data, half of the patients experience sleeping problems since a part of their brain, the one that regulates the sleep cycle, was affected and damaged.
If you can’t sleep at night and experience the following symptoms, better seek professional advice from your doctor immediately.
- nausea
- vomiting
- headache
- mood changes
- difficulty in concentrating
- ringing in the ears
- double vision
The symptoms might not be evident after days of your accident. Sometimes, it could occur after weeks. So be on the lookout for these as it could lead to life-threatening issues.
Spinal Cord Injury
When you have a spinal cord injury, you may experience symptoms such as neck pain and headache. In worse cases, paralysis might happen.
According to studies, when you have a spinal cord injury, you are likely to have insomnia. This is due to pain, frequent urination, and muscle spasms, among many others.
How Insomnia Could Affect Your Life
We’ve mentioned insomnia in this article multiple times, and we cannot emphasize how it could change your life. As we are constantly reminding our readers, poor quality of sleep can be detrimental to one’s health.
When you have insomnia, your memory might be less sharp, and your cognitive abilities would decline. It’s as if you can’t answer simple problems, and you could have difficulties when focusing.
In addition, the condition could increase the risk of other health problems. This includes heart disease, obesity, stroke, and even seizures.
And let’s not forget how not having quality sleep could worsen anxiety and depression. It will eventually affect your personal relationship over time.
Other Sleeping Issues
Some patients also experience not just insomnia but also having bad dreams and even daytime fatigue. For others, they keep on seeing flashbacks of the accident, which makes it harder to fall asleep.
Improving Yourself After a Car Accident
If you are having trouble coping up with your emotions after a vehicular accident, there are a few things that could help you apart from seeking medical attention. These tips can also improve your sleeping habits.
Talk to Your Loved Ones
It’s healthy to talk to people you trust about your accident. It could be your family or friends. You can go over the details of the accident and all the feelings involved. This should help you release emotions and thoughts that are related to the incident.
When all these emotions are not bottled up, you are likely to get better sleep.
Start Being Active Again
You might also want to start working out again or being active. However, take note that you might need to seek your doctor’s approval first. This is especially true if you had severe physical injuries. Before you start with intense workout sessions, it’s best to get clearance first.
Go Back to Your Daily Routine
If you’ve been limiting yourself from doing things you normally accomplish before the accident, start doing it again slowly. There’s no need to force yourself to get back to your old self 100%. Remember that small progress counts.
How you feel can greatly affect your sleeping habits. So, as much as you can, try to release all the negative emotions. Practicing meditation and yoga should help. Or, if you can get sleeping aids, these should do you good as well.
Best Products for People Who Can’t Sleep After Car Accident
Speaking of sleeping aids, you might want to invest in some of the products we recommend below.
Sven & Son King Adjustable Bed Base Frame
Check the latest price on Amazon.
This is recommended if you experience body pains. The bed frame promises quality sleep at night and is ideal even for people with insomnia.
If you want to be more relaxed, a bed frame with massage features could do you good. But before you get this product, you need to check with your physician if this would work well with your condition.
You might be suffering from physical injuries, and having massages might not be recommended at the moment.
Gya Labs Sleep Essential Oil Blend
Check the latest price on Amazon.
For centuries, many people believe in the power of essential oils and how it could improve one’s health.
Now, this specific product has calming florals, making it ideal to have the perfect sleep. You can either use it with a diffuser or inhale it, and you shall reap its amazing benefits.
It could even help you release stress and tension, common for people who just had a car accident. We guarantee that this is authentic and not like most essential oils you would see online.
Letsfit White Noise Machine
Check the latest price on Amazon.
Making your room conducive for sleeping can also help. If you have a noisy neighborhood or housemate, getting a noise machine is beneficial. This one has 14 soothing white noises, including fan sounds, lullabies, and natural sounds. These should help you naturally fall asleep.
It’s not just for people having a hard time sleeping. It’s also best if you wish to cover up your conversation.
Conclusion, Can’t Sleep After Car Accident
When you had a car accident and find it hard to sleep, do not ignore it. Better consult your doctor and look for early symptoms, which we’ve enumerated above. The earlier you get yourself checked, the better. Otherwise, you will not be able to enjoy your life to its full potential.
