Therapeutic Rest Break Guidelines

Why Therapeutic Rest?

Therapeutic rest allows people with TBI to recharge and perform better in their daily tasks, therefore making their rehabilitation program more effective and giving their brain a better environment for healing. 

Description of a typical rest break

• Rest break times will be scheduled by occupational therapy
• Rest breaks can range from 30 minutes to two hours
• The patient should be lying comfortably in bed
• The staff person who starts the rest break will put a yellow sign on the door and will close the door, indicating that therapeutic rest is in progress
• Reduce as much stimulation as possible (dim lights, turn off TV)
• No visitors

Some patients are too agitated to sleep during therapeutic rest or may need exceptions to these guidelines.

Additional Information 

If the patient can’t or won’t lay down, try to create a calming environment and provide activities that are calming and easy.

If a patient argues about the rest break, try showing it to them on their schedule like it is a class. Please talk to your loved one’s team members for suggestions on how to best manage therapeutic rest breaks. Often patients will continue to benefit from therapeutic rest breaks after discharge and modeling this while in the hospital can help in the next transition. 

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Revised: 1/2015