It was an honor and joy to team-up with my iRest® mentor, Karen Soltes, to present on the science and practice of iRest guided meditation for sleep and wellbeing after TBI.
Here are a few highlights from presentation.
What is TBI?
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is defined by the CDC as a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that causes disruption in brain function
Severity can be mild, moderate, or severe
'Mild' (or concussion) doesn't mean the symptoms or experience is mild
TBIs are common and complex and impact individuals physically, cognitively, psychologically, and socially
There is no gold standard 'treatment' thus symptoms and impacts can persist
PTSD & TBI
Post-traumatic stress (PTS) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are conditions that can involve anxiety, avoidance, and extreme stress in response to witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event
TBI & PTS(D) can co-occur, but not always
7-8% US population will have PTSD at some point in their lives
Mis/under-diagnosis of PTS(D) & TBI impacts healing in both
Sleeplessness
More than a third of adults in the US get less than 7 hours of nightly sleep
Routinely sleeping less than 6 hours a night weakens your immune system and more as sleep is the body’s housekeeping, maintenance and repair time. We might not want to need it, but we do. Sleep helps us to be our best.
Without it we might feel more irritable and have trouble with thinking and concentration.
Inadequate sleep disrupts blood sugar levels and can cause you to eat more
Sleep disruption exacerbates to all major psychiatric conditions.
Drowsy driving is more dangerous and kills more people than drunk driving
Restfulness
Enriches our ability to learn, memorize and make logical decisions and choices
Recalibrates our emotional brain circuits, allowing us to navigate next-day social and psychological challenges with cool-headed composure
Strengthens our immune system
Reforms the body's metabolic state by fine-tuning the balance of insulin and circulating glucose
Contributes to the fitness of our cardiovascular system, lowering blood pressure while helping keep our hearts in optimal condition
Watch the full presentation to learn
How iRest guided meditation can help
Three simple iRest techniques
Best practices for adapting iRest® to TBI
How to access LoveYourBrain and iRest® resources and trainings to deepen your skills and practice.
And experience a full iRest practice for sleep and Post Traumatic Stress (Disorder) (PTS(D) with Karen 💜
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