Within the framework of a recent research project, University of Granada researchers will analyze how sleep disorders affect risk perception in driving. Three last-generation simulators provided by the Psychology faculty will be employed. The purpose of the first study will be to analyze how a specific sleep disorder obstructive sleep apnea affects risk perception in driving, as well as the efficacy of the therapies in development to treat it.
Most all drivers have experienced it after long hours driving: the eyelids get heavy, a deep yawn, the neck muscles relax, the urge to sleep moves in, and then the head nodding up-and-down begins.
The problem with this is that the driver’s hands are still on the steering wheel, and many fortunate drivers were able to stop nodding in time to avoid an accident, such as with on-coming traffic or an overpass. For 100,000 drivers each year, though, a crash results, often proving to be fatal.
Thanksgiving is a time when many families come together, often driving long distances for a once-a-year gathering over dinner. It’s a traditional dating back to the days when the Pilgrims had first arrived in America and American Indians helped these new, yet strange neighbors celebrate the first successful harvest.
In today’s society, it is a time when U.S. roadways are bumper-to-bumper with millions of Americans traveling to visit family and friends. During this time of travel, the National Sleep Foundation and Awake In America urges all drivers to stay safe and drive alert while on the roadways this holiday season by getting adequate sleep before hitting the road, but also by watching out for signs of sleepiness behind the wheel.
As the clock ticks down the hours to the start of ceremonies on the morning of September 11, 2008, commemorating the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, there is something we must all remember: it is okay to turn off the TV and not watch.
According to several studies done at three-month, six-months, and one-year following September 11, 2001, many people around the country had problems sleeping, especially in the first month following that tragic morning.
Driving drowsy can be as dangerous as drinking and driving. Sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness and impairs judgment, all of which may lead to a greater likelihood for potential accidents.
Studied have shown that being awake for 24 hours straight is the equivalent of being legally intoxicated. And mixing lack of sleep and alcohol worsens the situation exponentially.
A study published in the April 1, 2008, issue of the journal Sleep confirms the persistent nature of insomnia and the increased risk of subsequent depression among individuals with insomnia. The study focused on 591 young adults, whose psychiatric, physical, and sleep symptoms were assessed with six interviews spanning 20 years.
Teens have the highest crash rates in the country. They also are likely to have the least sleep.
One national auto insurance carrier, GEICO, agrees with a growing number of sources, including the National Sleep Foundation, and its partners, including Awake In America, that the problem could be reduced by a good night’s sleep.
People who have sleep apnea, a potentially fatal sleep-breathing disorder which causes tissue in the airway to collapse and halt breathing for at least 10 seconds, and up to 90 seconds or longer during sleep, are at double the risk of being in an auto accident, a study recently released by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and University of British Columbia respirologists finds.
Published online in the journal Thorax, the study also found that patients with sleep apnea are three to five times more likely to be in a serious auto accident involving personal injury.
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As of May 2, 2009 at 9:47 p.m. (-0500) (ET), the U.S. population
was 306,340,710. Sleep researchers estimate approximately seven percent
of the population suffers from obstructive sleep apnea. Using that
estimate, there are potentially 21,443,850 apneics in the U.S.
~~ Apnea around the world ~~
As of May 2, 2009 at 9:47 p.m. (-0500) (ET), the world population
was 6,777,286,604. Sleep researchers estimate approximately seven percent
of the population suffers from obstructive sleep apnea. Using that
estimate, there are potentially 474,410,062 apneics in the world.
