You Need A Different Approach Than The “Dark Room Protocol” After A Concussion
Why the “Dark Room Protocol” Isn’t Helping Your Concussion Recovery
If you’ve had a concussion, chances are a doctor or someone has suggested the “dark room protocol.” Total silence, no lights, no screens, lying in a pitch-black room until the symptoms go away and the brain has been fully recovered. It’s been passed around as the go-to advice for years. The challenge is not only is that approach outdated, it can actually slow recovery down.
Where Did the Dark Room Idea Come From?
The dark room protocol originally came from a place of caution. It made sense at the time—reduce stress on the brain, give it time to heal. But what we now think is this should be a short-term rest strategy for 24–48 hours. People were being told to avoid all activity, isolate in dark rooms, and basically put their lives on hold until they felt 100% better and would go on for weeks and months. And if they tried to go back to their usual lives and their symptoms were provoked back they go into a dark room with minimal input. Unfortunately this is still a recommended strategy by some healthcare providers far too recently based on patients I’ve seen.
Why Complete Isolation Doesn’t Work
While rest is important right after a concussion, too much of it can backfire. Here’s why prolonged isolation can actually make things worse:
- It can increase anxiety, depression and Isolation. Being alone in a dark room with nothing to do can leave people feeling disconnected and emotionally drained from feeling all the things your falling behind on.
- It slows down your return to normal. Your brain needs gentle, gradual stimulation—light, movement, thinking —to rewire and recover. Total avoidance of any symptoms leaves the nervous system in a place of stagnation.
- Avoiding everything that might trigger a symptom can make you more sensitive over time, not less.
So What Should You Do Instead?
✅ Rest for the first 24–48 hours
Yes, take it easy in the first day or two. Avoid things that clearly make your symptoms worse—bright lights, loud noise, high-effort activities. But after that, it’s time to start easing back into daily life.
✅ Start with light activity and gradually build up
Short walks, brief screen time in low light, or quiet social interaction can help stimulate recovery—as long as symptoms mild and settle quickly. From there this isn’t about jumping back into full days or workouts, but slowly reintroducing mental and physical activity. Start with 10–15 minute chunks, with breaks as needed and build from there.
✅ Work with a healthcare provider
Concussion-aware healthcare providers (like me!) are great at creating a personalized plan that balances rest and recovery with safe activity. Research shows that the sooner you connect and are supported by a healthcare provider the better and sooner your recovery from a concussion is.
The Bottom Line: Don’t Stay in the Dark
The dark room approach to concussion care might have been well-intentioned advice once, but it’s no longer the best path forward. Recovery happens through movement, connection, and seeking support—not through hiding away and avoiding symptoms until everything magically feels better.