A Monthly Bulletin Issued by the SAS Training Office
February 2003
Safety and Emergency
Preparedness Bulletin
ing, or hitting a shoulder rumble
strip
Who is at Risk?
• Sleep related crashes are most
common in young people, espe-
cially men, adults with children
and shift workers.
• Shift workers are more likely
than those who work a regular
daytime schedule to drive to or
from work drowsy at least a few
days a month.
• Sleep deprivation increases the
risk of a sleep-related crash; the
less people sleep, the greater the
risk.
• People tend to fall asleep more
on high-speed, long, boring, rural
highways.
• Most crashes or near misses
THE IMPORTANCE occur between 4:00 – 6:00 a.m.,
2:00 – 4:00 p.m., and midnight –
2:00 a.m.
OF SLEEP Preventing a Fall-asleep
Crash
while Driving
There are several signs to The best way to prevent a
Millions Drive Drowsy
indicate fatigue while driving that fall-asleep crash is to plan ahead
and Fall Asleep At the and get plenty of sleep before hit-
should tell a driver to stop and
Wheel rest. ting the road. If you start to feel
About one-half of America’s tired while driving, stop or have
adult drivers – 51 percent or • Difficulty focusing, frequent a driving companion take over. If
approximately 100 million people
blinking, or heavy eyelids you are not stopping for the night,
– are on the roads feeling sleepy
• Trouble keeping your head up find a safe, well-lit area and take
while they are driving. Nearly two
• Yawning repeatedly a 15-20 minute nap. Blasting a
in 10 drivers – 17 percent or
approximately 14 million people – • Trouble remembering the last radio, opening a window and simi-
say they have actually fallen asleep few miles driven; missing exits or lar “tricks” to stay awake do not
at the wheel in the past year. traffic signs work.
• Drifting from your lane, tailgat-
Warning Signs of Fatigue
Source: National Sleep Foundation Organization (website http://www.sleepfoundation.org/PressArchives/drowsyfacts.html and
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/PressArchives/millionsdrowsy.html)
Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bulletin February 2003
as noise, children, activ- • Use your bed for sleeping.
ity and lights, a restless Often, doing other activities in bed
spouse, or job-related ,
like watching TV paying bills, or
duties (e.g., workers working only serve to initiate wor-
who are on call) can ries and concerns. Let your mind
interrupt and reduce the associate the bed with sleeping,
quality and quantity of relaxing, and pleasure.
sleep. • Avoid heavy meals in the eve-
ning; similarly, avoid going to bed
Sleep Tips for hungry. A light snack, especially
Successful Sleep dairy foods, can help you sleep.
(Sleep Hygiene) • Exercise regularly. Regular
• Establish a regular exercise, even for 20 minutes 3
routine that includes times a week, promotes deep
going to bed and getting sleep.
up at the same time • Don’t nap for more than 30
every day, even on week- minutes or after 3 p.m. Avoiding
ends. Maintaining a con- naps all together will ensure that
sistent sleep-wake cycle you are tired at night. Longer naps
is the key to better disrupt the body’s ability to stay
health overall. asleep.
• Get an adequate • Maintain a dark, quiet, cool
The Causes of amount of sleep every night. room to sleep in.
Sleepiness/Drowsy Determine the amount of sleep • Use sleeping aids conserva-
Driving you need by keeping track of how tively, and avoid using them for
The primary causes of sleepiness long you sleep without using an more than one or two nights per
and drowsy driving in people alarm clock for a week. Maintain month. Avoid sleeping pills alto-
without sleep disorders are sleep this “personal” sleep requirement. gether. If you have obstructive
restriction and sleep fragmenta- • Go to bed when you are sleep apnea; it can be a deadly
tion.1 sleepy. If you have difficulty fall- combination.2
ing asleep or wake up shortly
Sleep restriction or loss. Short after going to sleep, leave the bed-
duration of sleep appears to have room and read quietly or do some
the greatest negative effects on other relaxing activity. Avoid overly
alertness. Although the need for bright lights as this can cue your
sleep varies among individuals, wake cycle.
sleeping 8 hours per 24-hour • Develop sleep rituals before
period is common, and 7 to 9
going to bed. Do the same things
hours is needed to optimize per-
in the same order before going
formance.
to bed to cue your body to slow
down and relax.
Sleep fragmentation. Sleep dis- • Avoid stress and worries at
ruption and fragmentation cause bedtime. Address tomorrow’s
inadequate sleep and can nega- activities, concerns, or distractions
tively affect functioning. The pri- earlier in the day. Certain activities,
mary internal cause is illness, such as listening to soft music,
including untreated sleep disor- reading, or taking a warm bath,
ders. Externally, disturbances such can help you wind down.
1 http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/perform/human/Drowsy.html (pages 10-11)
2 http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/ http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/perform/human/Drowsy.html (pages 10-11) http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/