May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, which is an excellent time for motorists in New York to be reminded of the importance of watching out for those on two wheels on city streets, roads and highways. Motorcyclists are vulnerable to greater injuries in a collision with a passenger or commercial vehicle, even when they are wearing safety gear. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, brain injuries are a major cause of death for both helmeted and unhelmeted riders.

Although a rider with a head injury may feel lucky to survive an accident, the trauma can cause lasting effects to the brain. NPR reports on a new study that indicates people who suffer concussions may develop long-term sleep disorders. Neurologists knew that initially, a person with a concussion may need to sleep more while the brain recovers from the damage. However, researchers discovered that some people developed disturbances in their sleep cycles that lasted for 18 months or more after the accident.

These issues are not unique to those who have suffered severe brain trauma. Scientists state that even a mild concussion may cause a person to develop a sleep disorder. Identifying and tracking these issues can be difficult, though, because people often do not know that their sleep patterns are disturbed. They may experience sleepiness without recognizing it as a symptom or connecting it to the injury. The effects of a sleep disorder may impact most areas of a person’s life negatively.

Victims of head trauma from a motorcycle accident may benefit from close monitoring for sleep disturbances to prevent further issues from arising as a result of drowsiness or exhaustion.