Sleep After Injury Predicts Depression

What if your sleep patterns in the first ten days after an injury could predict your mental

health a year later? It sounds like science fiction, but the data is clear: sleep is

a powerful predictor of psychiatric recovery. Research shows that having sleep complaints just ten days after

a mild brain injury is associated with a nearly ten-fold increase in the risk of feeling

depressed later. In fact, sleep problems are thought to mediate up to 41% of the

effect a brain injury has on the development of depression. By identifying these "sleep-wake disturbances"

early, clinicians might be able to predict—and potentially prevent—mental health challenges

before they become chronic. We’re diving into the deep connection between the pillow