Brain Waves: UAB Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Newsletter Volume 12 | Number 2 | Page 4

TBI FACT SHEET SPOTLIGHT
Balance Problems after Traumatic Brain Injury
Balance is the ability to keep your body centered
over your feet, and people with traumatic brain injury
(TBI) commonly report problems with balance. Between
30% and 65% of people with TBI suffer from dizziness
and disequilibrium (lack of balance while sitting or
standing) at some point in their recovery. Dizziness
includes symptoms such as lightheadedness, vertigo (the
sensation that you or your surroundings are moving), and
imbalance.
How bad your balance problem is depends on many
factors:
• How serious your brain injury is.
• Where in your brain you were injured.
• Other injuries you had along with your brain injury.
For example, in a motor vehicle crash, you could
suffer a TBI, cervical spine injury, and rib and leg
fractures. All of these injuries will affect your ability
to maintain your balance.
• Some medications used to manage the medical
issues connected with the traumatic event or
accident.
The ability to maintain your balance is determined
by many factors, including your physical strength and
coordination, your senses, and your cognitive (thinking)
ability. Most people can control their body movement

within certain limits before losing
their balance and needing to
adjust their posture or take a step
to keep from falling. Adjusting
your posture or taking a step to
maintain your balance before,
during, and after movement is
a complex process that is often
affected after brain injury.
Balance Problems after TBI
When you have poor balance
you have a high risk of falling and having another brain
injury or broken bone. Maintaining balance while sitting
and standing is important for all of our daily activities,
including self care and walking. Poor balance can keep
you from taking part in many types of activities, such as
sports, driving, and work.
This column is a portion taken from the fact sheet,
Balance Problems after Traumatic Brain Injury, from the
TBI Model System Knowledge Translation Center. The
fact sheet also discusses the common causes of balance
problems and treatment options.
Go to the website to read more about balance after
traumatic brain injury and find additional fact sheets from
the TBI Model System Knowledge Translation Center.

Sleep and Traumatic Brain Injury
Many people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have sleep
problems. A review of sleep disorder studies and surveys
suggest that:
• nearly 60% of people with TBI experience long-term
difficulties with sleep, which is about three times
more common than it is in the general population:
• women were more likely than men to develop sleep
problems: and
• sleep problems are more likely to develop as the
person ages.
The most common sleep problems can be divided into
sleep disorders and sleep syndromes.
Disorders
• Insomnia - difficulty with falling asleep or staying
asleep; or sleep that does not make you feel rested.
• Excessive daytime Sleepiness - difficulty staying
awake due to extreme drowsiness.
• Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome - mixed-up sleep
patterns that cause you to stay up too late.
• Narcolepsy - falling asleep suddenly and
uncontrollably during the day.
Syndromes
• Restless Leg Syndrome - urge to move the legs

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because they feel
uncomfortable, especially
at night or when lying
down.
Bruxism - grinding or
Sleep after TBI
clenching teeth.
Sleep Apnea - brief pauses in breathing during
sleep, resulting in reduced oxygen flow to the brain
and causing loud snoring and frequent awakening.
Periodic limb movement disorder - involuntary
movement of legs and arms during sleep.
Sleepwalking - not being aware of walking or
performing other activities while sleeping

This column is a portion taken from the fact sheet,
Sleep and Traumatic Brain Injury, from the TBI Model
System Knowledge Translation Center. The fact sheet
also discusses the many reasons why sleep problems are
common after TBI and what people with sleep problems
can do to improve their sleep.
Go to the website to read more about sleep and
traumatic brain injury and find additional fact sheets from
the TBI Model System Knowledge Translation Center.