| Ten years ago, a former colleague of mine, a fine | | | | your attention span decreases. Most people are |
| teacher and person, was tragically killed in a car | | | | subject to a decrease in attention every 90-120 |
| accident in British Columbia. He was on vacation | | | | minutes; however, sleepiness makes this decrease |
| with his daughter who miraculously survived the | | | | even worse and it can cause accidents when you |
| accident. What happened was a classic case of | | | | fall asleep at the wheel.c) Disorder in information |
| sleep deprivation: my friend was anxious to make | | | | processing: Sleepiness is very much like being |
| his way to a chosen destination and despite his | | | | under the influence of alcohol or drugs. When you |
| fatigue and the fact that he had been on the road | | | | are sleepy, your mental and psychomotor skills |
| for over 6 hours, he made the decision to drive | | | | diminish. In one study, a group of subjects were |
| through the night. He never made it there. | | | | kept awake for 28 hours; another group was |
| That there is a direct correlation between sleep | | | | given alcoholic drinks every half hour. When both |
| deprivation and traffic accidents cannot be | | | | groups were tested for hand-eye coordination, |
| disputed. In 1998, 24,318 deaths were cited from | | | | the ones who were sleep deprived performed |
| accidents related to sleep deprivation in the US. | | | | equally bad as the ones with 0.5 blood alcohol |
| There were as well 2, 474,430 disabling injuries | | | | level. |
| resulting from accidents where decreased mental | | | | What are the factors that have a direct effect |
| efficiency and attentiveness due to sleep loss was | | | | on a driver's tiredness?a) The amount of time the |
| the major causative factor. In fact, a major | | | | driver has been on the road. When a driver has |
| review conducted in 1996 suggested that the oil | | | | been on the road for 8 or more hours, his driving |
| spill of the Exxon Valdez, the destruction of the | | | | performance is impaired. The risk of accidents |
| space shuttle Challenger, the nuclear accident at | | | | increases.b) The amount of sleep the driver had |
| Chernobyl( costing over 50,000 lives) and the | | | | the night before. Not having any sleep for 16 |
| near nuclear accidents at the Three Mile Island and | | | | hours has a serious impact on driving |
| Peach Bottom reactors were all associated with | | | | performance. Research shows that the sleeping |
| sleep deprivation of the personnel involved. | | | | period of drivers who are involved in road |
| Sleep deprivation is often caused by sleep | | | | accidents are shorter than the ones of those who |
| disorders which are unknown to the subjects | | | | had sufficient sleep.c) Sleep disorders and Obesity. |
| themselves. Sleep apnea, for example, is a | | | | Sleep disorders like sleep apnea or narcolepsy in |
| common cause for sleep deficit. A study at the | | | | truck drivers are a major risk factor. In the same |
| Sleep Disorders and Research Center of Stanford | | | | Stanford University Study mentioned above, even |
| University Medical School showed that truck | | | | weight can seriously affect the frequency of |
| drivers identified with sleep disordered breathing | | | | traffic accidents. Obese drivers with a body mass |
| had a two-fold higher accident rate than drivers | | | | more than 30 kg also presented a two-fold higher |
| without sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep | | | | accident rate than non-obese drivers.d) |
| disordered breathing, commonly known as sleep | | | | Environmental factors. The lack of resting and |
| apnea, affects 15 million people in the United | | | | parking facilities for drivers is another factor that |
| States. This condition, characterized by | | | | contributes to the accident rate. |
| suffocation and oxygen deprivation which wake | | | | What can we do to ensure that we get adequate |
| the subjects up several times in the course of | | | | sleep?a) Set up a bedtime ritual-the same time to |
| the night, is responsible for daytime sleepiness and | | | | bed, the same routines like reading in bed or |
| fatigue. Put these subjects on the highway and | | | | listening to relaxing music.b) See your doctor if |
| we have a recipe for disastrous traffic accidents. | | | | you have snoring or breathing problems, daytime |
| Perhaps an examination of the influence sleep | | | | fatigue, morning headaches, night time choking |
| deprivation has on our mental acuity and | | | | episodes. You could have sleep apnea which can |
| performance level can shed light on how we can | | | | be treated with new devices and technology.c) If |
| protect ourselves and others from the disastrous | | | | you are overweight, take the steps to bring |
| consequences of sleep fatigue. | | | | down your weight. Obesity is a common factor in |
| What happens to you when you are sleep | | | | sleeplessness.d) Get into a routine of exercise |
| deprived? According to the Traffic Research | | | | during the day. Do not exercise after 7Pm as the |
| Center, these are the influences of sleep | | | | activity could be over stimulating and prevent you |
| deprivation on performance:a) Slower reaction | | | | from sleeping. |
| time: sleeplessness slows down your reflexes; | | | | A simple thing like sleep is nothing to be dismissed. |
| reaction time slows down, preventing you from | | | | More and more studies are revealing a direct link |
| stopping in times of danger.b) Decrease in | | | | between our nighttime and daytime experiences. |
| concentration levels: When you are overly tired, | | | | |