Key points about brain injury and mental fatigue
- mental fatigue or reduced brain energy is a common complaint after a brain injury or illness
- your child may need time for a 'brain rest' to give their brain enough energy to make it through the day
- experts believe mental fatigue after brain injury happens because the brain is not working as efficiently
- it will be worse immediately following the injury and generally improves with time
- your child may keep feeling mental fatigue after other symptoms have disappeared
- there are several ways you can help
- know the signs of mental fatigue
This page is part of a whole section on brain injury. You might also find some of the other content helpful.
Causes of mental fatigue after brain injury or illness
Mental fatigue or reduced brain energy is a common complaint after a brain injury or illness. Experts believe mental fatigue happens because the brain is not working as efficiently. This means it ends up having to work a lot harder to think or concentrate and runs out of energy more quickly.
Mental fatigue is from the brain getting tired, rather than the body.
Mental fatigue is worse immediately following the injury or illness. It generally improves as your child's brain injury or illness improves or stabilises. Tamariki (children) can continue to experience mental fatigue after other symptoms disappear.
Signs and symptoms of mental fatigue
Yawning and sleepiness
Your child may look tired such as having watery eyes or yawning a lot. They may fall asleep more easily (including during the day) or need more sleep than usual.
Impulsive behaviour
Brain tiredness does not always look like sleepiness. Your child may behave more impulsively or inappropriately. They may become more restless or hyperactive when their brain starts to run out of energy.
Becoming distracted
Your child may have more trouble following instructions or staying focused on tasks. They can be easily distracted when their brain is fatigued.
Headaches and dizziness
Mental fatigue often increases physical symptoms such as headaches and dizziness.
Becoming emotional
Having a tired brain may mean your child becomes irritated, angry or upset more easily. This can affect how they behave and interact with others.
Schoolwork mistakes
Your child's schoolwork may slip, as they are more likely to make mistakes and may slow down as they get fatigued. They may take longer to answer a question or complete schoolwork tasks.
Tiredness in the afternoon and at the end of the week
Mental fatigue also tends to accumulate. Your child may feel more tired in the afternoon or at the end of a school week.
How to help your child with mental fatigue
Your child may find it harder to get to sleep or may frequently wake up during the night. This makes mental fatigue worse. To minimise mental fatigue, try to create a good sleep pattern. You can do this by having a consistent bedtime as well as good bedtime routines.
Your child may need time for a 'brain rest' to give their brain enough energy to make it through the day. Brain rest times can involve:
- taking a nap
- doing a relaxing activity
- doing something that doesn't need much concentration
Make sure your child doesn't use electronic devices during brain rest times. This includes computers, video games, iPads and mobile phones. Electronic devices tend to activate the brain and won't help your child's brain to rest. For this reason, it is best to avoid screentime as part of the bedtime routine.
Reduce your child's daily activities, particularly on school days. Remember, that it takes brain energy to:
- hang out with friends and whānau (family) - particularly in big groups
- take part in extracurricular activities such as team sports
- go to after-school care
- go to after school tutoring
But, spending all their time at home doing nothing also doesn't help. It is important to make sure your child is still doing things they enjoy (just a little bit less than before).
Plan outings or activities that are noisy, busy or need more concentration, early in the day. This includes things like schoolwork or going out shopping. Make sure the afternoon is more relaxed and less demanding.
Plan for busy periods (such as busy social activities or school exams) in advance. Allow quiet time before and after.
How school can help your child with mental fatigue
You can talk with your child's teacher about your child's difficulties. Show them this website with things they can do to help.
Teachers can watch for signs of mental fatigue in the classroom.
Teachers can incorporate a brain rest time, or times, into the school day. Especially if they notice signs of mental fatigue. It is best to take brain rests in a quiet place. This can involve:
- having a nap
- doing a relaxing activity that does not need too much concentration
- doing a simple physical activity like taking something to the office for the teacher
Avoid using electronic devices (like computers or iPads) during brain rest times. Devices tend to activate the brain and will not help with brain rest.
Teachers can break up longer tasks, or tasks that need more concentration. Mix them up with easy tasks or brain rest times.
Teachers can sometimes reduce noise and distractions in the classroom. They could place your child in the front of the class or with quieter, less distracting tamariki. This will help their brain energy last longer.
Teachers can reduce the amount of work your child has to complete.
If your child is at primary school, this can mean focusing the curriculum on more essential areas. Your child's teacher could consider removing or reducing homework. It can help to plan the day so that topics that need higher levels of concentration happen earlier in the day. Break up more mentally challenging activities with a brain rest or relaxing activity.
If your child is at high school, this can mean removing a subject or subjects from their timetable. They can then use free periods for brain rest, revision or to complete homework. They may also need reduced homework loads and extra time to complete assignments. This is especially helpful if several things are due at the same time.
Sometimes parents worry that their child is falling behind at school. Speak to your child’s teacher or school as they can tell you about the most important parts of the curriculum. Extra tutoring can be helpful but it can also add to your child’s mental fatigue.
Teachers can apply for special assessment conditions for exams in high school. This will allow your child extra time for a rest period during the exam.
More Information
The Ministry Of Education's Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI) site has a range of practical resources for teachers to help students returning to learning following a concussion or other acquired brain injury (ABI).
Topics include:
Changes to physical wellbeing
Changes to cognition and thinking processes
Effects of ABI on stages of development
Changes to emotions, social skills, behaviour, and wairua
Visit the ACC website to see their 4-page PDF booklet about helping you to manage fatigue levels after a brain injury. This ACC booklet provides general information - it's not specifically aimed at children and young people.
Read the booklet in:
Acknowledgements
The content on this page has been developed and approved by the Paediatric Rehabilitation Team and the Clinical Neuropsychology Team, Consult Liaison, Starship Child Health.
