Safety & First Aid Print Cognitive Rest After a Child's Head Injury Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Joel Forman, MD on August 05, 2016 Joel Forman, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and associate professor of pediatrics, environmental medicine, and public health at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Learn about our Medical Review Board Joel Forman, MD Written by facebook Written by Catherine Holecko Catherine Holecko is an experienced freelance writer and editor, who specializes in pregnancy, parenting, health and fitness. Learn about our editorial policy Catherine Holecko Updated on August 08, 2019 Tom Sperduto / Aurora / Getty Images More in Healthy Kids Safety & First Aid Everyday Wellness Immunizations Food & Nutrition Fitness Cognitive rest is rest for the brain, just like physical rest is rest for the body. Following a concussion, medical professionals may direct a patient to complete a period of both physical and cognitive rest. Both of these are important in helping the brain heal after an injury. Resting conserves energy so the body and brain can use it for recovery. But it's hard to do, especially for kids and teens and especially when you consider the list of banned activities (below). In most cases, patients need to rest until 24 hours after having any concussion-related symptoms. After that, they should return to physical and cognitive activity gradually. If an activity causes symptoms to return — say, a child experiences headaches after reading—then more rest is needed. "A careful balance between cognitive activity and rest is paramount in these early stages of recovery and beyond," one research study explained. "Children and adolescents, with the help of adults involved in their care, should maintain a level of cognitive activity that does not make symptoms worse or reappear, to avoid exacerbating symptoms and possibly delaying recovery." Or, as one nurse counsels her patients: "If you're not completely bored, you're doing too much." In kids and teens, cognitive rest may mean limiting, or completely avoiding, activities that require mental exertion. These could include: Going to school (in person or online)Reading, writing or studyingWorking on a computerWatching TV or playing video games on a TV or tabletTexting or otherwise using a smartphone or any device with a screenListening to music, talk radio, or audiobooks How Schools Can Help With Cognitive Rest Following a concussion and a period of cognitive rest, some kids need a slow return to full activity. Support at school can help. Students may need accommodations such as: A shortened school day, and/or extra rest breaks during the dayPostponed or staggered tests, or different ways of showing knowledge (such as a portfolio of past work or an oral exam instead of a written one)Extended deadlines for assignmentsReduced distractions and sensory inputs, such as bright lights and loud noises. This could mean moving a child's seat away from a window or closer to the front of the room. It could also mean avoiding crowded hallways and noisy lunchrooms.Help from a note-taker and/or a tutor It's also important to note that cognitive rest can be very difficult emotionally for a child or teen. Kids spend so much of their time learning, reading, and interacting with screens. It's hard for them to avoid these activities. And they may worry about falling behind in school and in sports, or missing out on social interactions both at school and online. They often need reassurance that the recovery period is difficult but temporary. Sometimes they also need a reminder about how serious concussions can be. The consequences of returning to play (or cognitive activity) before a full recovery are scary but real. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get expert tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial policy to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. McGrath, N. Supporting the Student-Athlete's Return to the Classroom After a Sport-Related Concussion. Journal of Athletic Training, Vol. 45 No. 5, September-October 2010. Sady, MD, Vaughan, CG, and Gioia, GA. School and the Concussed Youth – Recommendations for Concussion Education and Management. Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America, Vol. 22 No. 4, November 2011. Continue Reading