Sleep & Recovery Disruption Scale
Use this self-scoring worksheet to evaluate how sleep quality and recovery patterns may be contributing to post-concussion symptoms. Rate each item based on the past week, paying attention to sleep onset, nighttime waking, daytime fatigue, naps, and how long it takes to recover after activity. Sleep disruption can worsen brain fog, headaches, emotional reactivity, dizziness, and concentration problems, making it an important part of post-concussion recovery tracking.
Sleep & Recovery Disruption Scale
Mark Zauss, LMHC, LPC, CCMHC, NBCC, BC-TMC, ASDCS, NATC, CCTP, CCTP II, ADHD-CCSP, C-DBT
This tool helps assess how sleep quality, rest, fatigue, and recovery patterns may be affecting post-concussion symptoms, emotional regulation, and cognitive functioning.
Instructions: Rate each item based on the past week.
0 = Not at all | 1 = Mild | 2 = Moderate | 3 = Significant | 4 = Severe / Constant
0 = Not at all | 1 = Mild | 2 = Moderate | 3 = Significant | 4 = Severe / Constant
| Sleep / Recovery Symptom | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|
Total Score: 0
Sleep Disruption Level: Minimal
Recovery Pattern: Stable
Sleep Disruption Level: Minimal
Recovery Pattern: Stable
Complete the scale for interpretation.
Reflection
Psychoeducation: Why Sleep Matters After Concussion
Sleep is one of the brain’s most important recovery systems. After a concussion, disrupted sleep can worsen headaches, brain fog, emotional reactivity, memory problems, dizziness, and fatigue. Some individuals sleep more than usual because the brain is using additional energy to recover, while others develop insomnia, fragmented sleep, or difficulty settling their nervous system at night.
Tracking sleep and recovery patterns can help identify whether symptoms are being driven by poor sleep quality, overexertion, inconsistent routines, stress activation, or inadequate rest between cognitive and physical demands.
Seek medical guidance if sleep problems are severe, worsening, associated with breathing problems, extreme daytime sleepiness, confusion, worsening headaches, or significant changes in alertness.