Abstract
After experiencing a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the majority of patients will develop
sleep–wake disorders (SWD). These can include insomnia, posttraumatic pleiosomnia
(increased sleep need), excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), obstructive and/or central
sleep apnea, circadian SWD, and a variety of parasomnias. Untreated SWD may impede
the recovery process and can negatively impact mood, metabolic health, cognitive function,
and immune function among other processes. Importantly, these patients tend to misperceive
their posttraumatic sleep problems. Consequently, interviews performed in standard
clinical practice may not sufficiently capture SWD patients, potentially compromising
safety and productivity. In this up-to-date review, we outline the state of current
TBI-related SWD, highlighting proposed mechanisms, treatment modalities, and areas
for further clinical investigation. We discuss data supporting the role of slow wave
sleep in the enhancement of neural recovery and strengthening of healthy neural circuits.
We also examine the utility of enhanced cohort recruitment and SWD biomarker discovery
via the use of social media, smart devices, and data-sharing networks, and call for
increased research in the intersection of TBI and SWD.
Keywords
TBI - sleep - sleep–wake disorder - insomnia - OSA
